Direct Synthesis of 2,5-Disubstituted Oxazoles through an Iodine-Catalyzed Decarboxylative Domino Reaction

An efficient iodine-catalyzed synthesis of highly substituted oxazoles is presented. Starting from readily available aryl methyl ketones, beta-keto esters, or styrenes, in combination with alpha-amino acids as amine-containing coupling partners, the corresponding 2-alkyl-5-aryl- substituted oxazoles were obtained in up to 80% yield via a decarboxylative domino reaction.