Synthesis of new 2,5-di-substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazoles bearing 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol moieties and evaluation of their antioxidant activity

Eleven new 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-(5-aryl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenols 5a-k were synthesized by reacting aryl hydrazides with 3,5-di-tert butyl 4-hydroxybenzoic acid in the presence of phosphorus oxychloride. The resulting compounds were characterized based on their IR, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and HRMS data. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazide (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to test the antioxidant properties of the compounds. Compounds 5f and 5j exhibited significant free-radical scavenging ability in both assays.