4-Aryl-3-thiocyanatobutan-2-ones were prepared by Meerwein reactions from methyl vinyl ketone and aryldiazonium salts under copper(II) catalysis in 35−75% yields. α-Thiocyanato ketones regioselectively react with 1-methyl-3-aminopyrazole forming N-(3pyrazolyl)-substituted 2-aminothiazoles in 80−91% yields. An ester group in position 3 of the pyrazole induced a regioselective ring-closure reaction followed by an intramolecular cyclization, which gave first representatives of a new heterocyclic system, pyrazolo[4,3-e]thiazolo-[3,2-a]pyrimidine, in 74−93% yields. In addition, the preparations of 5benzyl-4-methylthiazol-2-ones in 84−93% yields are described.

Both one-pot and two-step procedures for the synthesis of substituted 2-aminothiazoles and 2-aminoselenazoles are described. Anilines are first converted into arenediazonium bromides, which are then reacted with methyl vinyl ketone or cyclopropyl vinyl ketone in the presence of copper(II) bromide to give 4-aryl-3-bromobutan-2-ones (40–71%) and 3-aryl-2-bromo-1-cyclopropylpropan-1-ones (41–79%), respectively. These products are reacted, without prior isolation, with thiourea or selenourea to prepare 4-methyl- and 4-cyclopropyl-5-(R-benzyl)thiazol-2-amines (14 examples) and their selenium analogs (14 examples). The yields of the one-pot procedure are higher (40–81%) than those of the two-step procedure (32–70%).