Thioamides undergo oxidative dimerization on treatment with hypervalent iodine(V)-containing reagents, particularly o-iodoxybenzoic acid (IBX), in the presence of tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) to generate 3,5-disubstituted 1,2,4-thiadiazoles in excellent yield. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.