unsaturated heterocyclic carbonyl - containing compounds , e . g ., 2h - imidazol - 2 - ones , 2 - oxazolones and 2h , 3h - pyrrol - 2 - ones , are prepared by the anodic oxidation of saturated heterocyclic carbonyl - containing precursors of the above compounds in a c 1 - 4 alcohol or carboxylic acid solvent in the presence of a supporting electrolyte followed by dehydrosubstitution of the alkoxy - or acyloxy - substituted intermediate . the products formed may be polymerized or copolymerized with other ethylenically unsaturated monomers to prepared resins , films , etc . or they may be employed as intermediates for the preparation of various biologically active compounds .