A facile synthesis of 2-substituted-4-(substituted)phenyl-Δ2-1,3,4-oxadiazolin-5-ones

The title compounds, 3, are formed at ambient temperature from 4,4-dimethyl-2-(substituted)-phenylsemicarbazides (1) and carboxylic acid chlorides in the presence of triethylamine. 2-Dimethylamino-4-(substiluted)phenyl-Δ²-1,3,4-oxadiazolin-5-ones are formed from 1 and dialkyl-carbamoyl chlorides at elevated temperature (about 15° ). Acylation of 1 with carboxylic acid anhydrides, also at elevated temperature, is accompanied by loss of dimethylamine from the intermediate l-acyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-(substituted)phenylsemicarbazides, 2, to give 3.