Alpha-sulfanyl and alpha-selanyl propadienyl cations were easily generated by the catalytic system, scandium triflate-nitromethane-H(2)O in the presence of Bu(4)NHSO(4), to regioselectively afford the multifunctionalized thiazoles and selenazoles in high yields.

Pyrazoles direct: propargyl alcohols undergo hydrazination when treated with p-tosyl hydrazide in the presence of catalytic amounts of either Sc(OTf)(3) or La(OTf)(3) (see scheme; Tf=trifluoromethanesulfonyl). Propargyl hydrazides are converted into either N-tosyl or N-H pyrazoles when treated with an acid or a base, respectively. The one-step acid-catalyzed hydrazination/cyclization of propargyl alcohols directly affords pyrazoles in high yields.

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The scandium-catalyzed substitution reactions of the phenylsulfanyl and phenylselanyl propargyl alcohols 3a- i and 7a- h regioselectively proceeded to give the propargylated compounds 4 and 8 in high yields.