ZnO nanoparticles: a green efficient catalyst for the room temperature synthesis of biologically active 2-aryl-1,3-benzothiazole and 1,3-benzoxazole derivatives

A facile synthetic protocol for the synthesis of 2-aryl-1,3-benzothiazoles and 1,3-benzoxazoles has been demonstrated using ZnO nanoparticles as a mild and efficient heterogeneous catalyst. The reactions using ZnO nanoparticles were very fast (<8 min) and provided excellent yields (>90%) of the products. The catalyst was recycled and reused up to eight times without significant loss of catalytic activity. The potential application of 2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-benzothiazole as new acid–base indicator has also been demonstrated in this Letter.