Review Benzimidazole

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2-Acetylbenzimidazole: a Valuable Synthon for the Synthesis of Biologically

Active Molecules
Article in Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry · December 2020

DOI: 10.33263/BRIAC114.1156211591
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Review
Volume 11, Issue 4, 2021, 11562 - 11591
https://doi.org/10.33263/BRIAC114.1156211591
2-Acetylbenzimidazole: a Valuable Synthon for the

Synthesis of Biologically Active Molecules
Gopal Krishna Padhy 1,2,* , Jagadeesh Panda 3, Saroj K. Raul 4, Ajaya K. Behera 5
1 Centurion University of Technology and Management, Odisha, India; gopalkrishna.padhy@cutm.ac.in (G.K.P.);
2 Heritage Vision Education Trust, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
3 Raghu College of Pharmacy, Dakamarri, Visakhapatnam 531162, India; jagadeeshpanda@yahoo.com (J.P.);
4 Maharajah’s College of Pharmacy, Phool Baugh, Vizianagaram 535002, India; saroj.raul@rediffmail.com (S.K.R.);
5 Organic Synthesis Laboratory, School of Chemistry, Sambalpur University, JyotiVihar, Burla 768019, India;
ajay.behera1962@gmail.com (A.K.B.);
* Correspondence: gopalmedchem@gmail.com;
Scopus Author ID 55346307500
Received: 20.10.2020; Revised: 30.11.2020; Accepted: 4.12.2020; Published: 12.12.2020
Abstract: Benzimidazole is an important moiety from a medicinal chemistry perspective due to its
various biological activities such as antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-Alzheimers, and anti-
inflammatory, etc. 2-acetylbenzimidazole is exploited to obtain various heterocyclic compounds of
pharmacological interest. This review's main motive is to present the literature on 2-
acetylbenzimidazole chemistry and provide valuable and up-to-date information for its applications.
The present review is carried out by compiling literature from 1964 to 2020 concerning the synthesis
and biological aspects of various heterocyclic compounds derived from 2-acetylbenzimidazole.
Literature was collected from various online search engines viz. Google Scholar, PubMed, Science
Direct, Core, and Semantic scholar. 2-acetylbenzimidazole has been successfully employed as a
synthon to obtain heterocyclic system viz. oxirane, pyrazoline, thiazole, pyrazole, isoxazoline,
isoxazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, thiazine, diazepine, and other miscellaneous rings. 2-
acetylbenzimidazole has shown promise for the convenient synthesis of various heterocyclic
compounds. The reactions can be carried out on various reactive sites of 2-acetylbenzimidazole, which
are the carbonyl group and the amino group. This review will help to explore various heterocyclic
compounds and particularly in the synthesis of biologically useful compounds.
Keywords: 2-Acetylbenzimidazole; chalcone; pyrazoline; pharmacology; synthesis.

© 2020 by the authors. This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative
Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
1. Introduction
Benzimidazole, a heterocyclic moiety, consists of benzene and imidazole ring,

combined at the 4th and 5th position. It is a very important molecule from a medicinal chemistry
perspective due to its numerous pharmacological activities, viz anti-viral [1], antimicrobial [2],
anti-diabetic [3], anti-cancer [4,5], anti-Alzheimers [6], anti-inflammatory [7], etc. Due to its
numerous biological activities, it is still an exciting area to do research. 2-acetylbenzimidazole
is a benzimidazole derivative where the acetyl (-COCH3) group is attached at 2nd position.
Given the various pharmacological implications of benzimidazole derivatives, as previously
mentioned, it inspires to investigate new synthetic protocol for biologically potent
benzimidazoles. Several papers have been published over the years, which revealed numerous
synthetic methods and pharmacological aspects of benzimidazoles prepared by utilizing 2-
acetylbenzimidazole as a synthon. The review presented here highlights exclusively describing
https://biointerfaceresearch.com/ 11562
diverse synthetic methods and pharmacological activity of benzimidazole derivatives prepared

from the 2-acetylbenzimidazole precursor.
2. Synthesis of 2-acetylbenzimidazole
2-acetylbenzimidazole was initially recovered as an impurity during the synthesis 2-

methylquinoxaline 3 from o-phenylenediamines 1 and pyruvaldehyde 2 (Scheme 1). It was
independently synthesized from 1'-hydroxyethylbenzimidazole 5 under oxidation conditions
using chromium trioxide [8] (Scheme 2).
Scheme 1. Preparation of 2-methylquinoxaline and 2-acetylbenzimidazole.
Scheme 2. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole from 1'-hydroxyethylbenzimidazole.
For the bromination study, Ramaiah and co-workers prepared 2-acetylbenzimidazole

starting from o-phenylenediamines 1, employing potassium dichromate and diluted H2SO4 as
an oxidizing agent [9] (Scheme 3).
Scheme 3. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole from o-phenylenediamines.
Kalirajan et al. carried out the oxidation of 1'-hydroxyethylbenzimidazole 5 in the

presence of K2Cr2O7, and 5 % dilute acetic acid to obtain 2-acetylbenzimidazole [10] (Scheme
4).
Scheme 4. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole.
Kumar et al. studied the oxidation of 2-(α-hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole to obtain 2-

acetylbenzimidazole. Various oxidizing agents such as K2Cr2O7, MnO2, H2O2/gl. AcOH,
CaOCl2, m-CPBA, 10 % HNO3, 50 % HNO3, and CAN were employed for the reaction. Among
the oxidizing agents used, K2Cr2O7, H2O2/gl. AcOH, CAN were found to be the most effective.
It was observed that K2Cr2O7 in diluted H2SO4 gave the highest yield (72%). Moreover,
neutralization of H2SO4 with NH3 was found to be a crucial step. During the neutralization
process, the pH of the solution should be between 5.5-6.0 and supposed to not go above 7.0. If
the pH of the solution exceeds 7.0, then the yield of 2-acetylbenzimidazole decreases
considerably [11].
3. Synthesis of 2-acetylbenzimidazole derivatives
3.1. Synthesis of chalcones.
A series of benzimidazole chalcones 7a-p were synthesized by the Claisen–Schmidt

condensation reaction of 2-acetylbenzimidazole 4 with aryl aldehydes (Scheme 5). The
compounds were evaluated for their nematicidal activity against Haemonchus contortus.
Compound 7a was discovered to be most active (LC100 = 0.002 μg/mL) [12].
Mathew and co-workers have synthesized similar benzimidazole chalcones by
microwave and screened them for their antibacterial activity. Compound 7o showed good
activity towards Gram-negative bacteria (K. pneumonia and E. coli) and less active towards
Gram-negative bacteria. Few derivatives showed modest activity against the fungi [13].
Scheme 5. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 7a-p.
A series of benzimidazole derived chalcones 9a-g were synthesized by condensing 2-

acetylbenzimidazole with various aldehydes (Scheme 6). The chalcones were evaluated for
their in-vitro antimicrobial activity. Synthesized chalcones showed good activity against the
gram-positive bacteria and fungal species [14].
Scheme 6. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 9a-g.
Benzimidazole-pyridine or phenyl ketenes 10a-b were synthesized by Claisen Schmidt

reaction of 2-acetyl benzimidazole with aromatic aldehydes. Reduction of the carbonyl
function or of the double bond gave compounds 11a-b and 12a-b (Scheme 7). The compounds
were screened against cancer cell lines MCF-7, HCT116, and HepG2. Compounds 9a and 9b
showed IC50 values of 0.06 and 0.03 µM against the HCT116 cancer cell line, respectively.
The activity was better than that of 5-Fluorouracil and near to that of Paclitaxel [15].
,
Scheme 7. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 10,11,12-a & b.
A series of 1-(toluene-4-sulfonyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-propen-1-one 14a-f

synthesized by tosylation of benzimidazole chalones 13a-f using ultrasound (Scheme 8)
compound 14b showed moderate inhibition of enzyme glucoamylase. Compounds 14c and 14e
exhibited excellent activity against different bacteria and fungi Candida albicans [16].
Scheme 8. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 13a-f & 14a-f.
Benzimidazolylchalcones derivatives 16a-d of chlormidazole were synthesized by

reacting different aromatic aldehydes with N-(4-chlorobenzyl)-2-acetylbenzimidazole 16 in
order to develop new antifungal compounds (Scheme 9). The compounds 17a, 17c, and 17d
showed significant antifungal activities against Candida albicans and were found to possess
MIQ values of 1.25, 5, and 0.625 μg, respectively [17].
Scheme 9. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 17a-e.
A series of benzimidazole chalcones bearing the oxadiazole ring 20a-e were

synthesized by a nucleophilic substitution reaction between benzimidazole chalcones 18a-e
and 19 in the presence of K2CO3 (Scheme 10). The compounds were found to be moderately
active against bacteria and fungi [18].
Scheme 10. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 20a-h.
A novel series of 1-benzylbenzimidazole chalcones were synthesized in our laboratory,

starting from o-phenylenediamine 1. Chalcones were prepared by Claisen-Schmidt
condensation of 4 with various aromatic aldehydes in the presence of NaOH. Nucleophilic
substitution of 1H-Benzimidazole chalcones 21a-d with benzyl chloride provided the final
compounds 23a-d (Scheme 11). Compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity against
selective bacteria. Compound 23b was found to be most effective with an IC50 value of 62.5
µg/mL [19].
Scheme 11. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 23a-d.
Benzimidazolylchalcone 25 was prepared by reacting 4 with 2-chloroquinoline-3-

carbaldehyde 24 in ethanol and sodium hydroxide at room temperature (Scheme 12) [20].
Scheme 12. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcone 25.
A series of benzimidazole chalcones bearing aromatic amide substituent (Scheme 13)

were synthesized and screened for their anti-cancer activity against cancer cell lines HepG2,
HCT116, CRL-5908, and A549. Compounds 29c, 29f and 29i showed good activity against
HCT116 cells (IC50 = 1.34-1.63 µM). It was observed that the compounds act by upregulating
the expression of TP53 protein in tumor cells without inhibiting the MDM2-TP53 interaction
[21].
Scheme 13. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 29a-i.
A series of benzimidazole-triazole-hybrid molecules 33a-j were synthesized by the

reaction between different azides and benzimidazole alkynes 32a-j bearing a chalcone group
(Scheme 14). Evaluation of anti-proliferative activity showed that compound 33j was most
active with an IC50 value of 6.23, 5.89, and 10.7 μM against T47-D, MDA-MB-231, and PC3
cancer cell line [22].
Scheme 14. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 33a-j.
An environment-friendly synthesis of benzimidazole linked indole chalcones 35a-n

were prepared by catalyzing the reaction using ZnO nanoparticles. Compounds were obtained
by reaction of 2-acetyl benzimidazole and indole-3-carbaldehyde 34 followed by Michael's
addition of indoles (Scheme 15). The method provided an excellent yield of product in less
reaction time using water [23].
Scheme 15. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 36a-n.
Benzimidazole chalcones bearing heterocyclic moieties 39-41 were prepared from 2-

acetylbenzimidazole (Scheme 16). It was observed that benzimidazoles connected to 5 or 6
membered nitrogen-bearing rings showed cytotoxic effects on OVCAR-3 and MCF-7 cell
lines. The compound 41 (containing morpholinopropyl group) reduced the proliferation of
MCF-7 (IC50 = 8.91 µM) and OVCAR-3 (IC50 = 10.76 µM) cell lines and showed good activity
compared to cisplatin [24].
Scheme 16. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 39-41.
3.2. Synthesis of the three-membered ring (oxirane and its derivatives).
Benzimidazole chalcone 43 was synthesized from 2-acetyl-1-methylbenzimidazole 42

and 3,4,5-Trimethoxybenzaldehyde. Treatment of 43 with 30% hydrogen peroxide in acetone
yielded 44 (Scheme 17) [25].
Scheme 17. Synthesis of benzimidazole oxirane 44.
3.3. Synthesis of the five-membered rings.
3.3.1. Synthesis of pyrazolines.
Two series of pyrazoline were prepared, starting from 2-acetyl benzimidazole. The
cyclo condensation of chalcones 45a-e with hydrazine hydrate and phenylhydrazine yielded
different pyrazoline derivatives 46a-e and 47a-e (Scheme 18). The compounds were screened
against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Compounds 45a and 45d were found to have MIC values
of 1.25 and 1.53μg/mL, respectively. Compounds 47c and 47e showed MIC values of 2.69 and
2.75, respectively [26].
A similar pyrazoline series was synthesized by Shaharyar and co-workers and screened
at a single dose (10-5 M) against NCI 60 cell panel. Derivativecontaining 3,4-dimethoxyphenyl
group at 5thposition of pyrazoline 47e was found to be the most active candidate [27].
Scheme 18. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 46a-e and 47a-e.
Series of pyrazolines 49a-b were synthesized from benzimidazolylchalcones 48a-b and

phenylhydrazine to study their fluorescent properties (Scheme 19). The fluorescence spectra
concluded that the emission wavelength was red-shifted. The absorption spectra revealed that
the aryl group linked at the 5th position of the pyrazoline ring barely influenced the maximum
absorption [28].
Scheme 19. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 49a-b.
A series of benzimidazoles containing pyrazoline moiety 52a-j were synthesized by the

cycloaddition of isoniazid 51 with benzimidazolylchalcones 50a-j (Scheme20). The
synthesized compounds were evaluated for antimicrobial using the serial dilution technique.
Compounds 52b, 52d, and 52e were found to be significantly active against different bacteria
with MIC of 25 μg/mL [29].
Scheme 20. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 52a-j.
Benzimidazole linked pyrazoline 55a-j were achieved through the cyclo condensation
of chalcone derivatives 53a-j with acid hydrazide 54 in acetic acid at 130oC (Scheme 21).
Antimicrobial activity was determined against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa E. coli, A. niger, C.

albicans, and A. clavatus. Few of the compounds were found to be significantly active [30].
Scheme 21. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 55a-j.
Benzimidazolylchalcones 56a-d have been cyclized into N1-substituted pyrazoline

derivatives 57a-d and 58a-d by the interaction with thiosemicarbazide and formic acid under
microwave condition (Scheme 22). Compounds synthesized were evaluated against B. Subtilis,
K. pneumonae, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa. Few compounds showed unusual activity [31].
Scheme 22. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 57a-d & 58a-d.
Benzimidazolylchalcones 59a-f, obtained from 2-acetylbenzimidazole was reacted

with hydrazine hydrate in the presence of formic acid to afford pyrazolinecarboxaldehyde 60a-
f, which on reaction with hydrazine hydrate resulted in compounds 61a-f in 80-89% yield under
MWI condition (Scheme 23). Compounds were tested for their antifungal and antibacterial
activity [32].
Scheme 23. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 61a-f.
Two series of pyrazoline derivatives linked to benzimidazole moiety 64a-e and 65a-e
were prepared in our laboratories by multistep reactions using 2-aceylimidazole as a starting
material (Scheme 24). The compounds were tested for their antimicrobial activity. Among the
compounds screened, 64d showed good activity (MIC = 64 μgmL-1) against S. aureus and E.
coli. Compounds were found to be inactive against C. albicans [33].
Scheme 24. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 64a-e & 65a-e.
A series of benzimidazole chalcones containing furan moiety 66a-b were synthesized

67a-b from 2-acetylbenzimidazole. Chalcones were cyclized with methyl hydrazine in the
presence of ethanol to produce pyrazolines (Scheme 25) [25].
Scheme 25. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 67a-b.
A series of benzimidazole and benzothiazole-linked pyrazolines 70a-e were prepared

by reacting to the hydrazine 69 and chalcones 68a-e using a small amount of glacial acetic acid
in ethanol (Scheme 26). Compounds were screened for their anti-inflammatory & analgesic
activity and were found to be moderately active [34].
Scheme 26. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 70a-e.
A series of benzimidazole chalcones bearing indole ring system 72a-c were prepared
by Saundane et al. [35]. The chalcones 72a-c on treatment with hydrazine or phenylhydrazine
gave 73a-d (Scheme 27). Compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial and antioxidant
activities. Few of the compounds showed good activity.
Scheme 27. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 73a-d.
Pyrazoline embedded with N-alkoxyphthalimidobenzimidazoles 76a-h were

synthesized starting from 2-acetylbenzimidazole. The chalcones 74a-d were cyclized by
refluxing with phenylhydrazine in the presence of pyridine. The pyrazolines 75a-d were
condensed with ω-bromoalkoxyphthalimide to obtain 76a-h (Scheme 28) [36].
Scheme 28. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 76a-h.
Compounds 2-(5-aryl-4,5-dihydropyrazol-3-yl)benzimidazoles 79a-d had been

synthesized by the reaction of 3-aryl-1-(2-benzimidazolyl)-2-propen-1-ones 78a-d with
hydrazine hydrate (Scheme 29) for evaluating them as potential anti-inflammatory agents. The
compounds showed a good effect in the rat paw edema model [37].
Scheme 29. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 79a-d.
2-(4-amino-2-arylaminothiazol-5-oyl)-N-methylbenzimidazoles 82a-e were prepared

to utilize 2-acetylbenzimidazole as a synthon (Scheme 30). The compounds were screened at
a concentration of 10-4M against lung cancer (H460), breast cancer (MCF7), and SF268 (CNS
cancer) cell lines. The compounds were further screened against different bacterial strains and
found to be active [38].
Scheme 30. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 82a-e.
Two series of Thiazole-2-amines 84a-d and 87a-i has been prepared by the cyclization
of 2-acetylbenzimidiazoles 83a-d & 85a-i and 2-bromo-1-(1-alkyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-
yl)-1-ethanone 86a-i with thiourea (Scheme 31) and evaluated for their antibacterial and
antifungal activity. Some of these compounds demonstrated antibacterial activity [39].
Scheme 31. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked thiazole-2-amines 87a-i.
A series of benzimidazoles linked with various heterocyclic systems 93, 94, 95, 97 and
98 have been synthesized from N-methyl-2-bromoacetylbenzimidazole 89 (Scheme 32). Some
benzimidazole derivatives were found as corrosion inhibitors [40].
Scheme 32. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked heterocyclics 90-98.
3.3.2. Synthesis of pyrazoles.
The reaction of benzimidazolylchalcones 99a-e with bromine in chloroform gave

corresponding dibromochalcones 100a-e, which underwent condensation with hydrazine
hydrate to form 3-benzimidazolyl-5-aryl-2-pyrazole 101a-e (Scheme 33). Pyrazoles were
evaluated for their antimicrobial activity, and some of them have exhibited promising activity
[41].
Scheme 33. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrazole 101a-e.
2-acetylbenzimidazole on heating with dimethyl acetal in dimethylformamide gave the

chalcone 1-(1H-benzimidazolyl)-3-dimethylaminopropenone 102. Alkylation of 102 with
DMS/DES/PhCH2Cl gave 103a-c that the treatment of with hydrazine gave 104a-c (Scheme
34) [42].
Scheme 34. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrazole 104a-c.
The chalcones 105a-e were cyclized with phenylhydrazine, and 2,4-dinitro

phenylhydrazine in the presence of sodium acetate under microwave irradiation to give the
benzimidazole substituted pyrazole 106a-e (Scheme 35). Some of the compounds showed
significant anti-cancer and antibacterial activity [10].
The pyrazoles 108a-e derivatives were prepared from chalcones 107a-e (Scheme 36).
The compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory activity and showed significant % inhibition
of edema, i.e., 63.63, and 62 % at a dose of 200 mg/mL [43].
3.3.3. Synthesis of isoxazolines.
The syntheses of Benzimidazole-arylisoxazoline hybrid 110a-h were obtained by the

condensation of chalcones 109a-h with hydroxylamine at room temperature (Scheme 37). The
compounds were tested for their antibacterial activity against Gram +ve bacteria viz., B.
subtilis, S. aureus, and two Gram-ve bacteria viz. E. coli and K. pneumonia and found to be
active [44].
Scheme 37. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked oxazoline 110a-d.
A series of 1-methyl analogs of benzimidazole chalcones 111a-b was cyclized with

hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of NaOH to produce isoxazolines 112a-b
(Scheme 38). The derivatives exhibited high potency against cancer cells HEPG2 and PC12cell
lines [25].
Scheme 38. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked oxazoline 112a-b.
The chalcone 113 was cyclized with hydroxylamine hydrochloride using a catalytic
amount of sodium acetate in a mixture of acetic acid and ethanol under reflux conditions. The
isoxazoline 114 so obtained were condensed with ω-bromoalkoxy-phthalimide 115 in a
mixture of pyridine and ethanol to obtain 2-(5-aryl-4,5-dihydroisoxazol-3-yl)-1-N-
alkoxyphthalimido benzimidazoles 116a-h (Scheme 39) [36].
Scheme 39. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked oxazoline 116a-h.
3.3.4. Synthesis of isoxazoles.
2-Acetylbenzimidazole on condensation with different aldehydes produced 3-

(benzimidazole-2-yl)-1-aryl-1-propen-3-ones 117a-g. Chalcones on condensation with
hydroxylamine hydrochloride in the presence of sodium acetate using a minimum amount of
acetic acid produced 3-(benzimidazole-2-yl)-5-arylisoxazoles 118a-g (Scheme 40). The
compounds were evaluated for their anti-cancer activity against MCF-7 and NCI-H460 cell
line [45].
Scheme 40. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked oxazole 118a-g.
3.4. Synthesis of the six-membered rings.
3.4.1. Synthesis of pyridine and its derivative.
Benzimidazole embedded pyridine derivatives 121a-f were synthesized (Scheme 41)

by reacting chalcones 119a-f with malononitrile 120 & ammonium acetate. Obtained
compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial and antifungal activity. The compounds
showed good antibacterial and moderate antifungal activities [46].
Scheme 41. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 121a-f.
A series of benzimidazole derivatives 124a-f were synthesized (Scheme 42) by reacting

compound 123a-f with formamide and formic acid in dimethylformamide solvent. Compounds
123a-f were prepared by reaction between benzimidazole chalcone 122a-f, malononitrile, and
ammonium acetate in the ethanol medium. Compounds were screened for their antioxidant and
antibacterial activity through DPPH and agar diffusion methods. The compounds demonstrated
mild to moderate activity [47].
Scheme 42. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridopyrimidine 124a-f.
Compounds 125a-f were treated with malononitrile and ammonium acetate to achieve
derivatives 126a-f, via Knoevenagel condensation reaction. Compounds 126a-f on simple
condensation reaction with 3-nitrobenzaldehyde provided Schiff bases 127a-f that in
anhydrous 1,4-dioxane was refluxed with 2-mercaptoacetic acid 128 for 12 hrs to obtain 129a-
f (Scheme 43). These compounds were tested for antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic
activity [48].
Scheme 43. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 129a-f.
Desai et al. [49] prepared benzimidazole-pyridine-azetidine hybrid 133a-h (Scheme

44), stating from 2-acetyl benzimidazole through chalcone intermediates 130a-h. Chalcone
derivatives were condensed with malononitrile in the presence of ammonium acetate to
afforded 131a-h, which on reaction with benzaldehyde in the presence of anhydrous zinc
chloride resulted in 132a-h. Compound 132a-h and chloroacetyl chloride were refluxed with
triethylamine in 1,4-dioxane to obtain 133a-h. The compounds were screened for their
antibacterial activity and exhibited substantial antibacterial activity accompanied by a low level
of cytotoxicity against HeLa cells.
Scheme 44. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 133a-h.
Benzimidazole-pyridines 135a-b were prepared (Scheme 45) by refluxing 2-

acetylbenzimidazole with suitable aromatic aldehydes 134a-b, ethyl cyanoacetate, and
ammonium acetate. The Compounds showed weak anti-HIV activity and had mild antibacterial
activity. However, no significant anti-cancer activity was observed [50].
Scheme 45. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 135a-b.
A variety of benzimidazole-pyridine carbonitriles 137a-g were prepared (Scheme 46)

via regioselective reaction of 136a-g with malononitrile in the presence of sodium alkoxide.
All the synthesized compounds showed significant vasodilation properties [51].
Scheme 46. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 137a-g.
1-α-Pyridiniumacetophenone chloride 139 on reaction with 2-cinnamoylbenzimidazole

138a-d in the presence of ammonium acetate gave pyridine derivatives 140a-d according to
Kröhnke’s pyridine synthesis (Scheme 47) [52].
Scheme 47. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyridine 140a-d.
3.4.2. Synthesis of pyrimidines.
Zoorob et al. [53] have prepared various pyrimidine derivatives 142a-e & 143a-e from
the chalcones 141a-e (Scheme 48). Chalcones were reacted with thiourea in boiling alcoholic
potassium hydroxide to give the pyrimidinethiones 142a-e. The analogous pyrimidines 143a-
e were prepared by the reaction of 141a-e with urea.
Scheme 48. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 142a-e & 143a-e.
A series of benzimidazole chalcone and its 1-methyl analogs 144a-d were cyclized
(Scheme 49) with different reagents such as thiourea guanidinium sulfate in different reactions
to produce pyrimidinethione 145a-d and aminopyrimidine 146a-d, respectively [51].
Scheme 49. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 145a-d & 146a-d.
The chalcones 72a-b on condensation with thiourea and urea in separate reactions yielded
pyrimidine-2-thiol derivatives 147a-b and pyrimidin-2-ol derivatives 148a-b (Scheme 50),
respectively. These compounds were screened for their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities
and were found to possess good antioxidant and antimicrobial activity [35].
Scheme 50. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 147a-b & 148a-b.
A series of 2-(2-amino-6-arylpyrimidin-4-yl)benzimidazoles 151a-d have been

synthesized (Scheme 51) by the reaction of 3-aryl-1-(2-benzimidazolyl)-2-propen-1-ones
150a-d with guanidine carbonate. The compounds were found to be active as antibacterial [54].
Scheme 51. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 151a-d.
Two series of aminopyrimidinylbenzimidazoles 153a-d and 155a-p were synthesized as

antibacterial agents (Scheme 52). Compound 153d significantly inhibited the growth of E. coli,
A. flavus, and MRSA with MIC values of 1, 1, and 8 μg/mL, respectively. 153d also exhibited
bactericidal action against S. aureus MRSA and P. aeruginosa. Furthermore, compound 153d
was found to show a good safety profile. A docking study concluded that 153d could bind with
DNA gyrase [55].
Scheme 52. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 153a-p, 154a-p & 155a-p.
N-benzyl benzimidazole-pyrimidine hybrid 158a-d were synthesized by the reaction of N-

benzyl benzimidazole chalcones 157a-d with guanidine hydrochloride (Scheme 53).
Compounds 158a and 158b exhibited significant anti-cancer activity with GI50 values of 39.6
and 84.0 μM [56].
A new series of pyrimidines 162a-j have been synthesized by the reaction of chalcone
derivatives 161a-j with guanidine nitrate in ethanol and an aqueous solution of sodium
hydroxide (Scheme 54) for testing their antimicrobial activity. Results reveal that compounds
exhibited significant antibacterial and antifungal activities [57].
Scheme 54. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 162a-j.
Benzimidazole-pyrimidine hybrid 163a-d were synthesized from chalcone precursors 74a-

d. The chalcones were cyclized with guanidine nitrate in the presence of 10 % NaOH under
the reflux condition. The pyrimidines 163a-d were then condensed with ω-
bromoalkoxyphthalimide to obtain 164a-d (Scheme 55) [36].
A series of benzimidazole-pyrimidine 163a-d have been synthesized (Scheme 56) by the

reaction of chalcones 74a-d with guanidine carbonate for evaluating them as potential anti-
inflammatory agents. Compounds showed good anti-inflammatory activity in the carrageenan-
induced rat paw edema model [37].
Scheme 56. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 166a-c.

3.4.3. Synthesis of thiazines.
Substituted 2-acetyl benzimidazole 167 irradiated with various aromatic aldehydes in

an aqueous solution of NaOH and ethanol to obtain the chalcones 168. Chalcones 168a-e and
thiourea were refluxed for 12-18 hours at 60ºC to obtain the thiazine derivatives 169a-e
(Scheme 57) [58].
Scheme 57. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrimidine 169a-f.
3.5. Synthesis of the seven-membered rings.
3.5.1. Synthesis of diazepine.
The benzimidazolylchalcones 170a-f on treatment with ethylenediamine 171 afforded

the diazepines 172a-f under MWI condition (Scheme 58). The compounds were evaluated for
antibacterial and antifungal activity in vitro. It was observed that all the compounds possess
promising activity [59].
Scheme 58. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked diazepine 172a-f.
3.5.2. Synthesis of fused rings.
The reaction of benzimidazolylchalcones 173a-c with 2-amino thiophenol 174 in

methanol containing few drops of acetic acid afforded 175a-c and subsequent oxidation of the
former intermediate with chloranil produced benzothiazepine derivatives 176a-c (Scheme 59)
[60].
Scheme 59. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked benzothiazepine 176a-c.
The chalcones 177a-g on treatment with bromine in acetic acid gave dibromo
derivatives 178a-g which reacted with an o-phenylene diamine in sulphuric acid to furnish 2-
(benzimidazol-2-yl-methyl)-3-arylquinoxazolines 179a-g (Scheme 60) [46].
Scheme 60. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked quinoxazoline 179a-g.
Benzimidazolylchalcones 180a-f on reaction with ethyl acetoacetate in the presence of

basic alumina gave 6-carboethoxy-3-benzimidazolyl-5-arylcyclohexenones 181a-f, which on
treatment with hydrazine hydrate gave benzimidazole linked indazoles 182a-f under
microwave-assisted condition (Scheme 61). The synthesized compounds were found to be
active as antimicrobial [61].
Scheme 61. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked indazole 182a-f.
2-acetyl benzimidazoles 183a-d on condensation reaction with 5-nitro furfural 184 at

room temperature leads to the formation of chalcones 185a-d. These compounds on cyclo
condensation reaction with triazole derivative 186 afforded benzimidazole linked triazolo[3,4-
b][1,3,4]thiadiazepines 187a-d (Scheme 62). These compounds were evaluated for their
antibacterial and antifungal activity [62].
Scheme 62. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked triazolothiadiazepines 187a-d.
The chalcones 188a-d were reacted with bromine in carbon tetrachloride to yield
dibromo adduct 189a-d. During recrystallization from methanol or acetic acid, the dibromo
derivatives cyclized to give the pyrrolo[l,2-a]benzimidazoles 190a-d (Scheme 63) [53].
Scheme 63. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked pyrrolobenzimidazoles 190a-d.

3.6. Synthesis of Miscellaneous compound.
A series of (2E)-1-(H-benzimidazol-2-yl)-3-substituted phenyl 2-propen-1-one

embedded with barbitone 193a-e are prepared from chalcones 191a-e on reaction with
barbituric acid 192 in the presence of acetic acid (Scheme 64). The synthesized compounds
were screened for their antioxidant activity by the DPPH method and exhibited good
antioxidant activity [63].
The compounds 193a-e, synthesized were further screened for their antiulcer activity
in the pylorus-ligated rats and showed a percentage of protection of 67.17-69.56 % at a dose of
50 mg/kg body weight [64].
The same authors have also reported the antitumor activity for derivatives described
above 193a-e against Dalton’s ascitic lymphoma (DLA) in mice. They showed good antitumor
activity at a dose of 50 mg/kg against DLA bearing mice [65].
The synthesized compounds 193 a-e also showed good antidepressant activity at a dose
of 20 mg/kg. The compounds 193 a-e considerably reduced the duration of immobility times
[66].
Scheme 64. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked barbitone 193a-e.
A series of some novel imines 196a-e were prepared (Scheme 65) by an acid-catalyzed
nucleophilic addition reaction between 5-amino-1,3,4-thiadiazole-2-thiol 195 and heteroaryl
chalcones 194a-e (Scheme 65). The compounds were screened for their antiulcer activity in
the pylorus-ligated rats. Antioxidant activities of the derivatives were determined by DPPH
method. Compounds showed a percentage of 70.43-73.47% protection at a dose of 10 mg/kg
body weight [67].
All the derivatives 196a-e were further screened for their hypnotic activity at a dose
level of 10 mg/kg body weight. The compounds showed a significant percentage of an increase
in sleeping time [68].
Scheme 65. Synthesis of benzimidazole linked thiadizole 196a-e.
Dubey et al. [69] investigated the Michael addition of various α, β- unsaturated

benzimidazole chalcones 198a-f with nitromethane under solvent-free conditions in the
presence of K2CO3 and TBAB as the surface catalyst by simple physical mixing in a mortar
and pestle at room temperature gave the respective adducts 199a-f in good yields (Scheme 66).
Scheme 66. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 199a-f.
2-acetyl-1H-benzimidazole oxime-ethers 201a-f were synthesized from derivatives of 2-

acetylbenzimidazole 200a-b (Scheme 67). The antifungal activities of the compounds were
determined against Botrytis cinerea and Alternaria alternata. Compounds 201b, 201c, 201f,
201g, and 201h exhibited good activities against Botrytis cinerea, while 201b and 201f possess
excellent activities against Alternaria alternata [70].
Dihydropyrazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole 205a-j and 1-(2-arylvinyl)-3-arylpyrazino[1,2-

a]benzimidazole 206a-j were synthesized (Scheme 68 and 69), and their anti-cancer and anti-
HIV activities were determined. The compounds did not show anti-HIV activity, whereas
significant anti-cancer activity was observed against leukemia cell lines [71].
Scheme 68. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 205a-j.

Pyrazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives 214a-i possessing the SO2CH3 group were

synthesized and evaluated for their anti-cancer, cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitory, and anti-platelet
aggregation activities (Scheme 70). Compound 214f was found to be the most potent COX-2
inhibitor with an IC50 value of 0.08 μM. Cytotoxicity of the compounds was also determined
against the breast cancer cell line MCF-7. It was found that compound 214e exhibited the
highest anti-proliferative activity. The compound 214c was found to be the most active platelet
aggregation inhibitor [72].
Scheme 70. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 214a-i.
New pyrazino[1,2-a]benzimidazole derivatives 218a-h were synthesized and tested for

their anti-cancer activity (Scheme 71). 2-acetylbenzimidazole was reacted with a derivative of
α-bromoacetophenones 215a-c using potassium carbonate in acetone to give 216a-c. These
diketones were further reacted with varied benzylamines 217a-e in acetic acid to obtain 218a-
i. The remarkable anti-cancer activity was exhibited by compound 218e [73].
Scheme 71. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 218a-h.
Benzimidazoles incorporated with different heterocycles were synthesized, starting

from 2-acetylbenzimidazole (Scheme 72). Candidates were evaluated for antimicrobial activity
against Bacillus pumilus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Saccharomyces
cerevisiae. Compound 223 was found to possess good activity against the tested bacteria with
no antifungal activity [20].
Scheme 72. Synthesis of benzimidazole derivatives 221-225.
4. Conclusions
2-Acetylbenzimidazole is easily accessible and contains a highly reactive keto and

amino groups. This survey attempts to sum up the synthetic methods and reactions of 2-
acetylbenzimidazole during 1964-2020. The chemistry of 2-acetylbenzimidazole has shown
promise on several fronts. The review revealed the wide synthetic applications of 2-
acetylbenzimidazole in organic synthesis, particularly in the synthesis of biologically useful
heterocyclics such as oxirane, pyrazoline, and thiazole pyrazole, isoxazoline, isoxazole,
pyridine, pyrimidine, thiazine, and diazepine. Most of the synthesized compounds exhibited
good pharmacological activity.
Funding
The authors prepared the review article without any external funding.
Acknowledgments
Dr. Gopal Krishna Padhy would like to express his thanks to Dr. Chandra Sekhar Patro,
Principal, School of Pharmacy, Centurion University of Technology and Management,
Rayagada, Odisha, for his constant moral support during this work.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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2-Acetylbenzimidazole: a Valuable Synthon for the Synthesis of Biologically

Article in Biointerface Research in Applied Chemistry · December 2020

Gopal Krishna Padhy J. Panda

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Ajaya Kumar Behera

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2-Acetylbenzimidazole: a Valuable Synthon for the

Keywords: 2-Acetylbenzimidazole; chalcone; pyrazoline; pharmacology; synthesis.

Benzimidazole, a heterocyclic moiety, consists of benzene and imidazole ring,

diverse synthetic methods and pharmacological activity of benzimidazole derivatives prepared

2-acetylbenzimidazole was initially recovered as an impurity during the synthesis 2-

Scheme 1. Preparation of 2-methylquinoxaline and 2-acetylbenzimidazole.

Scheme 2. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole from 1'-hydroxyethylbenzimidazole.

For the bromination study, Ramaiah and co-workers prepared 2-acetylbenzimidazole

Scheme 3. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole from o-phenylenediamines.

Kalirajan et al. carried out the oxidation of 1'-hydroxyethylbenzimidazole 5 in the

Scheme 4. Preparation of 2-acetylbenzimidazole.

Kumar et al. studied the oxidation of 2-(α-hydroxyethyl)benzimidazole to obtain 2-

3. Synthesis of 2-acetylbenzimidazole derivatives

3.1. Synthesis of chalcones.

A series of benzimidazole chalcones 7a-p were synthesized by the Claisen–Schmidt

Scheme 5. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 7a-p.

A series of benzimidazole derived chalcones 9a-g were synthesized by condensing 2-

Scheme 6. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 9a-g.

Benzimidazole-pyridine or phenyl ketenes 10a-b were synthesized by Claisen Schmidt

A series of 1-(toluene-4-sulfonyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]-propen-1-one 14a-f

Scheme 8. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 13a-f & 14a-f.

Benzimidazolylchalcones derivatives 16a-d of chlormidazole were synthesized by

Scheme 9. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 17a-e.

A series of benzimidazole chalcones bearing the oxadiazole ring 20a-e were

Scheme 10. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 20a-h.

A novel series of 1-benzylbenzimidazole chalcones were synthesized in our laboratory,

Scheme 11. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 23a-d.

Benzimidazolylchalcone 25 was prepared by reacting 4 with 2-chloroquinoline-3-

Scheme 12. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcone 25.

A series of benzimidazole chalcones bearing aromatic amide substituent (Scheme 13)

Scheme 13. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 29a-i.

A series of benzimidazole-triazole-hybrid molecules 33a-j were synthesized by the

Scheme 14. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 33a-j.

An environment-friendly synthesis of benzimidazole linked indole chalcones 35a-n

Scheme 15. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 36a-n.

Benzimidazole chalcones bearing heterocyclic moieties 39-41 were prepared from 2-

Scheme 16. Synthesis of benzimidazole chalcones 39-41.

3.2. Synthesis of the three-membered ring (oxirane and its derivatives).

Benzimidazole chalcone 43 was synthesized from 2-acetyl-1-methylbenzimidazole 42

Scheme 17. Synthesis of benzimidazole oxirane 44.

3.3. Synthesis of the five-membered rings.

3.3.1. Synthesis of pyrazolines.

Scheme 18. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 46a-e and 47a-e.

Series of pyrazolines 49a-b were synthesized from benzimidazolylchalcones 48a-b and

Scheme 19. Synthesis of benzimidazole pyrazolines 49a-b.

A series of benzimidazoles containing pyrazoline moiety 52a-j were synthesized by the