Recent Scenario for the Synthesis of Benzimidazole Moiety(2020–2022)

Abstract The benzene ring is fused to the 4 and 5 positions of the imidazole ring in the bicyclic heterocyclic aromatic compound known as benzimidazole. Benzimidazole is an important heterocyclic scaffold exhibiting a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties and plays a crucial role in drug design. It is synthesized by a straightforward nucleophilic substitution reaction and condensation method between o‐phenylenediamine and a carbonyl compound under various conditions. In recent years benzimidazole have gained more attention in chemistry due to their biomedical importance. This study focuses on synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives by numerous homogeneous catalysts related from s‐ block, p‐ block, transition metal, inner transition metal and environmentally benign synthetic approaches, via heterogeneous catalyst in metal‐free conditions. Benzimidazole has several applications in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and fine chemicals. Its scaffolds are omnipresent in several bioactive natural products and pharmaceutically important compounds. This review highlights synthetic approaches and studies of benzimidazole reported from the year 2020 onwards.