Abstract Carbon-carbon bond forming reactions at C-2 of the thiazole ring have been carried using two strategies, one involving the addition of organometallic reagents (lithium carbanions of esters, Grignard salts, silyl enol ethers, silyl ketene acetals, silylazoles) to N- acylthiazolium salts; the other involving the addition of carbon electrophiles (ketenes, acyl chlorides, anhydrides, aldehydes) to N-acylthiazolium ylides generated in situ. The ...