Water-Mediated Green Synthesis of Benzimidazoles Using Pyruvic Acid: A Comparable Study of Ultra-sonication versus Conventional Heating

Abstract

: An efficient and green protocol has been introduced for the synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives using a pyruvic acid catalyst in the presence of water. Pyruvic acid catalyses the reaction of aromatic aldehydes with o-phenylenediamine efficiently, and products were obtained in good to excellent yields under sonication (50 oC) or under conventional heating (50 oC). The advantages of this synthetic methodology are the use of eco-friendly, commercially cheap, biodegradable catalyst, metal-free and Lewis acid-free mild reaction conditions with excellent yields, short reaction times, and compatible with a wide range of electronically diverse substrates. Pyruvic acid in water as a catalyst under ultrasound irradiation can be a better alternative to synthesize benzimidazole derivatives than some of the traditional methods.