A selenium-catalysed para-hydroxylation of N-arylhydroxamic acids is reported. Mechanistically, the reaction comprises an NÀO bond cleavage and consecutive seleniuminduced [2,3]-rearrangement to deliver para-hydroxyaniline derivatives. The mechanism is studied through both 18 Ocrossover experiments as well as quantum chemical calculations. This redox-neutral transformation provides an unconventional synthetic approach to para-aminophenols.
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