Convenient synthesis of 5-trifluoroacetylated imidazoles by ring transformation of mesoionic 1,3-oxazolium-5-olates.

Mesoionic 4-trifluoroacetyl-1,3-oxazolium-5-olates (1), obtained from the reaction of N-acyl-N-alkylglycines (2) with trifluoroacetic anhydride, react with amidines to give 5-trifluoroacetylimidazoles (3) in moderate yield. The novel ring transformations of 1 into 3 occur via an initial attack of amidines on the C-2 position of the ring.