Electrochemical intramolecular C[BOND]H amination: synthesis of benzoxazoles and benzothiazoles.

A new method for metal-free intramolecular C[BOND]H amination has been developed. Electrochemical oxidation of 2-pyrimidyloxybenzenes and 2-pyrimidylthiobenzenes, which can be easily prepared from phenols and thiophenols, respectively, followed by the treatment of the resulting pyrimidinium ions with piperidine gives 2-aminobenzoxazoles and 2-aminobenzothiazoles, respectively