A two-step, one-pot procedure using acid chlorides and propargyl amines to form tri-substituted oxazoles via gold-catalyzed cyclization

2,4-Disubstituted-5-methyl oxazoles were prepared from a 2-step, 1-pot procedure using acid chlorides and propargyl amines. These conditions lead to the formation of propargyl amides in situ followed by AuCl3 catalyzed cyclization. We were interested in this novel formation of tri-substituted oxazoles and exploring the scope of the reaction using these mild conditions. A variety of aryl and aliphatic amides containing sensitive functional groups were tolerated giving good yields.