I₂-Mediated Intramolecular C-H Amidation for the Synthesis of N-Substituted Benzimidazoles

A practical intramolecular C-H amidation methodology has been developed using molecular iodine under basic conditions. The required imine substrates were readily obtained by condensation of simple o-phenylenediamine derivatives and aldehydes. The transition-metal-free cyclization reaction described here works well with crude imines and allows for the sequential synthesis of N-protected benzimidazoles without purification of the less stable condensation intermediates. This operationally simple synthetic approach is broadly applicable to a variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and cinnamic aldehydes to produce diverse 1,2-disubstituted benzimidazole derivatives in an efficient and scalable fashion.