Exploring the Reactivity of 2-Trichloromethylbenzoxazoles for Access to Substituted Benzoxazoles

The reactivity of 2-trichloromethylbenzoxazoles towards various nucleophiles, under metal free or iron-catalyzed conditions, for the synthesis of substituted benzoxazoles is described. These methods allow for selective substitution at either the 2- or 2’- position of the benzoxazoles using the same starting materials / reagents. This approach allows for the controlled synthesis of a variety of key derivatives from a single 2-trichloromethylbenzoxazole starting material.