ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Chemoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles in lactic acid without additive

Zhi-Yu Yu, Jia Zhou, Qiu-Sheng Fang, Ling Chen, and Zhi-Bin Song

State Key Laboratory of Functional Small Organic Molecules, Ministry of Education and College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China

E-mail: zbsong@jxnu.edu.cn

Abstract: Lactic acid is recognised as a biocompatible medium for the chemoselective synthesis of the 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole scaffold via a direct one-pot cyclocondensation of o-phenylenediamine with aldehydes. Various 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives were successfully synthesised with high selectivity with good to excellent yields without any additional catalyst or additive. Most products could be isolated by a simple filtration after completion of the reactions. Satisfactory results were also obtained from multi-gram scale reactions.

Keywords: chemoselective – 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazoles – lactic acid – green synthesis

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1515/chempap-2016-0056

Chemical Papers 70 (9) 1293–1298 (2016)