Abstract
Hypervalent iodine oxidation of acetophenones (1a-1e) with [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene, followed by treatment with potassium thiocyanate offers a new facile synthesis of corresponding α-thiocyanatoacetophenones (3a-3e). Cyclization of 3a-3e, thus generated in situ, using AcOH/H2O and H2NC(S)NH2/HCl provides one pot facile syntheses of 2-hydroxy-, and 2-mercapto-4-arylthiazoles (4 & 5) respectively.