A Cu(II)-mediated synthesis of N,N′-diacylhydrazines and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles from aldehyde hydrazones has been developed. This is the first time that the synthesis of N,N′-diacylhydrazines and 1,3,4-oxadiazoles using N,N-dimethylamides as the acylation reagent and O2 in air as the oxidation reagent is reported. These reactions offered several advantages including simple workups, ligand-free inexpensive metal salts as mediators, high yields, and wide scope of substrates.
