The 2-(Aldo-Polyhydroxyalkyl)Benzimidazoles

Abstract

This chapter discusses 2-( aldo -polyhydroxyalkyl)benzimidazoles and substances of this type containing hydroxylated side chains of one to seven carbon atoms in length. Typical is the benzimidazole from D -glucose through D -gluconic acid. The side chain is attached at position 2 of the benzimidazole nucleus while the numbering of substituents in the side chain proceeds in the customary manner for sugars and their derivatives—that is, from top to bottom in the accompanying example. The configuration of the side chain is designated by a prefix referring to the sugar from which it was derived—for example, D -gluco-benzimidazole. However, the more systematic name would be 2-( D -gluco-pentahydroxypentyl)-benzimidazole, the italicized portion indicating that the configurations of the asymmetric carbon atoms are the same as in D -glucose. The benzimidazole from the corresponding 6-desoxy sugar would be named 6-desoxy- D -gluco-benzimidazoloe,r 2-( D -gluco-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroxypentyl)-benzimidazole.