Acetamidoxime (
1) is a useful reagent for constructing heterocyclic compounds by the condensation-cyclization reactions with carbonyl compounds such as carboxylic acids and acid chlorides. For example, an ester
2 is formed by the condensation reaction of the hydroxy group of
1 with the carboxylic acid, followed by the intramolecular cycloaddition of the amino group of
2 to the carbonyl group to give the heterocycle
3. The formed 1,2,4-oxadiazole derivative acts as a bioisostere of the ester and amide groups. Therefore,
1 is expected to be used for the formation of heterocyclic compounds aimed for drug discovery.