Tandem reactions of nitriles with 2-aminoethanethiolhydrochloride or amino alcohols in the presence of a catalytic amount of cupric methacrylate (CuII2L4, L = methacrylate) were employed to prepare 2-thiazolines and 2-oxazolines under mild reaction conditions. The synthetic procedure showed high selectivity for the synthesis of mono- and bis-thiazolines and oxazolines, and a variety of 2-thiazolines