The oxidation of aryl 1,2-diaminoimidazoles (1) with manganese dioxide to 1,2,3-triazoles (2) and/or 3-amino-1,2,d-triazoles (3) is described. Aroyldiazomethanes (4), benzonitriles ( 5 ) , and acetophenones (6) were minor products of this oxidation. The formation of 2 and 3 from the monoaryl imidazoles (la-c) is viewed as proceeding via the formation of the C-nitrenes (or nitrenoids) which open to the a-hydrazono-N-cyanoimines (81, followed by cyclization to either 2 or 3. The a-hydrazono-N-cyanoimines (8) can also account for the formation of 4 and 5, while fragmentation of the N-nitrenes would explain the presence of the acetophenones (6). The mechanism of the oxidation of 4,5-diphenyl-1,2-diaminoimidazole (Id) and 1,2-diaminobenzimidazole ( l e ) is also discussed.The manganese dioxide oxidation of 4-phenyl-1,2-diaminoimidazole (la) to 4(5)-phenyl-1,2,3-triazole (2a) and 3-amino-5-phenyl-1,2,4-triazine (3a) has been recently described in a communication.2a The formation of 2a and 3a was 3d 2d I 3 H I NH, 1 2 -+ .b..rCOCHN=h i-ArC-4-N + ArCOCH, (1) 4 5 6 a, R = H; Ar = Ph b, R = H; Ar = p-BrC,H, c , R = H ; Ar = p-CH,OC,H, d , R = Ar = Ph e , R, Ar = c rationalized via formation of the C-nitrene (or nitrenoid) 7a which could then undergo ring opening to the a-hydrazono-N-cyanoimine (8) thence to the observed products 2a and 3a.Ar CN .4r