The first kinetic evidence for acid catalysis in a monocyclic rearrangement of heterocycles: conversion of the Z-phenylhydrazone of 5-amino-3-benzoyl-1,2,4-oxadiazole into N,5-diphenyl-2H-1,2,3-triazol-4-ylurea

The title reaction has been studied in dioxane/water in a large (0.1-14.9) pS+ range, evidencing, together with an uncatalyzed process at intermediate (3.5-8.0) pS+ values, the occurrence of a catalyzed pathway both in the acidic (pS+ 0.1-3.5) and in the basic region (pS+ 8.0-14.9): specific-acid catalysis and general-base catalysis, respectively, have been found to take place by means of kinetic investigations at different buffer concentrations. Mechanisms for the three pathways have been advanced on the grounds of structural features. In a comparison with previous data particular attention has been paid to the acid-catalyzed pathway, herein observed for the first time in an azole-to-azole interconversion. The mechanistic hypotheses seem well supported by ab initio calculations.