Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived ZrOSO4@C for photocatalytic synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives

Heterocyclic moieties, such as benzimidazole, are examples of important nuclei that have found widespread use in a variety of scientific subfields, such as medical and applied chemistry. In this study, we described the photocatalytic synthesis of numerous different benzimidazole derivatives using a solid-state acid composed of zirconium oxosulfate embedded into carbon (ZrOSO4@C). A metal-organic framework (MOF), known as UiO-66, was used as a precursor for the synthesis of ZrOSO4@C via carbonization in the presence of sulfuric acid. ZrOSO4@C was able to catalyze the reaction effectively, allowing for a condensation and cyclization to take place in a single vessel, which resulted in a high yield (77–98%) of benzimidazoles that were of high purity with the byproducts of water, and hydrogen (H2) gas. Our catalyst allowed for an improvement in the synthesis of many different benzimidazole derivatives by using a wide array of aromatic aldehydes including aryl and heterocycles that included electron-donating or -withdrawing groups. Using a broad variety of analytical approaches, further analysises were conducted to examine the reaction process