Abstract: | Condensation of 2-bromoacetophenones with sodium succinimide gave N-phenacylsuccinimides ( 1 ) which were opened with sodium hydroxide to N-phenacylsuccinamic acids ( 2 ). The latter were cyclized to 5-aryl-2-oxazolepropionic acids ( 3 ) in sulfuric acid. Similar cyclization of N-phenacylphthalamic acid ( 5 ) and succinic acid 2-benzoylhydrazide ( 7 ) gave o-(5-phenyl-2-oxazolyl)benzoic acid ( 6 ) and 5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-propionic acid ( 8 ). The succinamic acids 2 and the phthalamic acid 5 were observed to recyclize to the corresponding imides ( 1 and 4 ) on heating, and the succinic acid hydrazide 7 was similarly cyclized to N-benzamidosuccinimide ( 9 ) with acetic anhydride. Antiinflammatory screening data are reported for 3 , 6 and 8 . |