Synthesis of Bi‐ and tridentate imidazole ligands

Abstract A number of imidazole derivatives were prepared in the course of studying the limits of carbon‐metal bond formation in complexes of imidazole with first‐row transition metals. Seven of the compounds were new. The 4‐ and 5‐methyl and 4,5‐dimethyl derivatives of l‐(2‐pyridyl)‐imidazole were prepared by reaction of the appropriate imidazole with 2‐bromopyridine. Alkylation of imidazole, 4,5‐dimethylimidazole, and benzimidazole with 2‐chloromethylpyridine gave a series of 1‐(2‐pyridylmethyl)imidazoles. 1‐(2,3‐Diaminopropyl)imidazole was prepared in six steps via a Gabriel sequence.