Efficient copper-catalyzed synthesis of 2-arylbenzimidazole derivatives by reaction of 1-fluoro-2-nitrobenzene with benzamidine hydrochlorides

Abstract

Figure not available: see fulltext. A novel and efficient approach to the preparation of 2-arylbenzimidazoles is described. Heating a mixture of 1-fluoro-2-nitrobenzene and benzamidine hydrochlorides in the presence of CuBr and K2CO3 in DMSO afforded 2-arylbenzimidazoles in good to excellent yields. The reaction was initiated by nucleophilic aromatic substitution and further proceeded by intramolecular nucleophilic copper-catalyzed cyclization reaction of benzamidine. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.