A mild, one-pot preparation of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles

A mild and efficient one-pot protocol for the synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazoles from carboxylic acids and acylhydrazides was developed. Diacylhydrazide formation via HATU coupling followed by addition of Burgess reagent afforded the corresponding 1,3,4-oxadiazoles in 63–96% yields at room temperature. The reaction conditions are tolerant of a variety of functional groups, including esters, nitriles, alkynes, olefins, alkyl halides, phenols, carbamates and sulfonamides.