A carbon dioxide route (CDR) for making biologically important 5-substituted-3H-[1,3,4]-oxadiazol-2-ones (SHOs) has been accomplished through synthesis and cyclization of a variety of hydrazides as the key intermediates. All of these hydrazides were prepared readily in 89–97% yields by reacting acid chlorides with a hydrazine monohydrate in the initial step. Then, SHOs were obtained in high yields from hydrazides by reacting them with carbon dioxide under basic conditions. More notable than the high yields, is that the present CDR process for the first time has succeeded in providing a straightforward cyclization reaction leading to SHO formation with simple reagents in ethanol solution.