What is "oxazolone"

n. (context chemistry English) A chemical allergen, 4-ethoxymethylene-2-phenyloxazol-5-one, used for immunological experiments, particularly for experiments on delayed type hypersensitivity.

Oxazolone is a chemical compound and functional group, with the molecular formula CHNO. It was named in-line with the Hantzsch–Widman nomenclature and is part of a large family of oxazole based compounds. There are a total of 5 structural isomers of oxazolone; 3 according to the location of the carbonyl group and 2 more according to the location of the double bound C=X (with X= N or C):

• 2-(3H)oxazolone.
• 2-(5H)oxazolone.
• 4-(5H)-oxazolone.
• 5-(2H)-oxazolone.
• 5-(4H)-oxazolone.

The 4-oxazolone motif, which is also formally a lactam, is present in a number of drugs ( fenozolone, thozalinone, cyclazodone, reclazepam etc.).

Substituted 5-oxazolones may also be regarded as the cyclization products of N- acyl α- amino acids, making them lactones, and are sometimes referred to as azlactones.