Oxazoles are heterocyclic aromatic compounds containing one oxygen atom and one nitrogen atom, separated by a carbon atom. The presence of two heteroatoms (oxygen and nitrogen) provides possible interactions (hydrogen, hydrophobic, van der Waals or dipole bonds) with a wide range of receptors and enzymes. Oxazole rings are valuable heterocyclic scaffolds for the design of novel therapeutics with anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, and antidepressant properties due to their wide range of targets and biological activities.
Oxazolines are five-membered heterocyclic compounds with one double bond. The double bond may be in one of three positions, so there may be three different oxazoline rings. The 2-oxazoline structure is the most common, and 3-oxazoline and 4-oxazoline exist mainly as laboratory research compounds. Oxazolines exist between oxazole and oxazolidine in terms of saturation.