Four bis(heteroaryl)piperazines labeled with carbon-14 in the 2-position of imidazole moiety were prepared as part of a 4-step (or 5-step) sequence from 5-hydroxymethyl-2-mercapto-1-benzylimida-zole-[2-14 C] as a key synthetic intermediate which has been synthesized from potassium [14 C]-thiocyanate.