2-Mercaptobenzoxazole

Preparation

2-Mercaptobenzoxazole has already been described in 1876 by Dunner (Ber. 9, (1876) page 465). 2-Mercaptobenzoxazole and its derivatives are prepared by processes which are based in principle on the reaction between o-aminophenol and alkali metal alkylxanthates. The alkali metal alkylxanthate here can either be employed as such, or it can be produced in the reaction mixture itself from an alkali, a lower alkanol and carbon disulphide.https://patents.google.com/patent/US4677209A/en

Reactions

2-Mercaptobenzoxazole with ethyl chloroacetate and anhydrous K2C03 in the presence of dry acetone was refluxed on water bath to give ethyl-2-(mercaptobenzoxazolo)acetate.

Application

2-Mercaptobenzoxazole is a widely used organic scaffold in medicinal chemistry.2-Mercaptobenzoxazole and their derivatives are known to posses several biological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, antiinflammatory, insecticidal and herbicidal. 4-0xo-thiazolidines have also played an important activities as analgesic, anti-HIV, antitubercular, anthelmentic, dye-stuffs, fluorescent and as a photosensitizer. The incorporation of 4-oxothiazolidine and their 5-arylidene moieties in 2-mercaptobenzoxazole frame work has been found to enhance the activity.