N-aryl-N′-2-thiazolylureas is reported. With cheap and recyclable nonmetal selenium instead of noble metals as the catalyst, carbon monoxide instead of virulent phosgene as the carbonylation agent, the selenium-catalyzed carbonylation reaction of 2-aminothiazole can proceed smoothly in one-pot manner with a variety of nitro aromatics in the presence of triethylamine to afford the desired N-aryl-N′-2-thiazolylureas