Facile one-pot synthesis of 2,3,5-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazolines from nitriles in aqueous solution.

[reaction: see text] Alkyl/aryl amidoximes, prepared from the corresponding nitriles and N-alkylhydroxylamines, have readily undergone consecutive Michael additions to electron-deficient alkynes and provided highly substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazolines in good yields in homogeneous aqueous solution.