N-Arylation of amides and anilines with aryl iodides was efficiently catalyzed by copper thiophenecarboxylate under ligand-free conditions with good to excellent yields. A variety of substituted aryl iodides, amides, anilines and 4-aminoantipyrine were found to be applicable to the simple catalytic system. Furthermore, some practical, unique secondary amides, such as N-arylacrylamides and 4-amido-N-phenylbenzamides, and 4-amino(N-phenyl)antipyrenes, which are difficult to obtain by the classical methods, were prepared. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A series of 2,5,6-trisubstituted imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles via Mannich reaction of imidazo[2,1-b][1,3,4]thiadiazoles with morpholine and formaldehyde were synthesized. Structures of all the newly synthesized compounds are well supported by spectral data such as IR, NMR, Mass, and Elemental analysis. Compound 3a has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2012).