Hypervalent iodine in the synthesis of bridgehead heterocycles: A facile route to the synthesis of 6-arylimidazo[2,1-b]thiazoles using [hydroxy(tosyloxy)iodo]benzene

alpha-Tosyloxyketones ( 2), readily accessible through hypervalent iodine oxidation of enolizable ketones ( 1) using [ hydroxy( tosyloxy) iodo] benzene ( HTIB) in acetonitrile, exclusively generates the 6-arylimidazo[ 2,1-b] thiazoles ( 4) on treatment with commercially available 2-aminothiazole ( 3).