Unexpected intramolecular nucleophilic cyclization of ureidoacetamide: A novel route towards the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubsituted oxazoles

Abstract

A variety of N, 2-diaryl-2-ureidoacetamide prepared from the condensation of N-aryl-α-aminoamide with potassium cyanate (KOCN) undergo efficient Hendrickson’s reagent-mediated nucleophilic cyclization to afford 2,5-diamine-4-aryloxazoles. The two-step synthesis provides seven target products in yields of 61–78% under mild conditions. This reaction involves an unusual pathway in which the electrophilic amide carbonyl carbon is activated by Hendrickson’s reagent and attacked by a nucleophilic ureido oxygen in a 5-exo-trig O-cycloisomerization.