Abstract: The synthetic methods to prepare 2-alkyl (aryl)-4, 5-diphenyloxazoles and 2-alkyl (aryl)-4-phenyloxazoles were improved on the basis of a mechanistic study of oxazole formation from α-hydroxy ketones (carboxylic esters of benzoin and phenacyl alcohols). By these methods, seven trisubstituted oxazoles and twelve disubstituted oxazoles of the title compounds were prepared. Key words: benzoin carboxylate, phenacyl carboxylate, di- ...