Unlocking the Pharmacological Potential of Benzimidazole Derivatives: A Pathway to Drug Development

Heterocyclic molecules have fascinated a massive interest in medicinal chemistry. They are heterocyclic compounds that have gained significance due to their diverse variety of pharmacological activities. Benzimidazole is a heterocyclic compound consisting of benzene and imidazole rings. The ease of synthesis and the structural versatility of benzimidazole make it a promising scaffold for drug development. Many biological actions of benzimidazole derivatives have been well documented, including antibacterial, antiviral, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antitubercular, and anthelmintic properties. The mechanism of action of benzimidazole derivatives varies with their chemical structure and target enzyme. This review has explored numerous methods for producing benzimidazole derivatives as well as a broad range of pharmacological activities. SAR investigations are also discussed in this review as they provide crucial details regarding the essential structural qualities that benzimidazole derivatives must have in order to be biologically active, which could aid in the rational design of new drug candidates. Benzimidazole scaffold is an exclusive structure in drug design and discovery. Many new pharmaceutical drugs containing benzimidazole are anticipated to be available within the next ten years as a result of the extensive therapeutic applications of benzimidazole and its derivatives. This review inspired many researchers to develop more biologically active compounds bearing benzimidazole, expanding the scope of finding a remedy for other diseases. From this study, we concluded that 2-substituted benzimidazole was considered more extensively by researchers.

A Review of Approaches to the Metallic and Non-Metallic Synthesis of Benzimidazole (BnZ) and Their Derivatives for Biological Efficacy

Heterocyclic compounds are significant lead drug candidates based on their various structure-activity relationships (SAR), and their use in pharmaceutics is constantly developing. Benzimidazole (BnZ) is synthesized by a condensation reaction between benzene and imidazole. The BnZ structure consists of two nitrogen atoms embedded in a five-membered imide ring which is fused with a benzene ring. This review examines the conventional and green synthesis of metallic and non-metallic BnZ and their derivatives, which have several potential SARs, along with a wide range of pharmacological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, anti-tubercular, and anti-protozoal properties. These compounds have been proven by pharmacological investigations to be efficient against different strains of microbes. Therefore, in this review, the structural variations of BnZ are listed along with various applications, predominantly related to their biological activities.

Synthesis of indenophenanthridine via a [4+2] annulation strategy: a “turn-off’’ Fe3+ ion sensor, practical application in live cell imaging and reversible acidochromism studies

An efficient protocol has been developed for the synthesis of a novel fluorescent probe, 1,2-disubstituted-indeno[1,2,3-gh]phenanthridine, derived from a series of α-oxo-ketene dithioacetals (OKDTAs) and indenoquinoline under essential conditions via a [4+2] annulation in excellent yield.

Enzymatic electrochemical continuous flow cascade synthesis of substituted benzimidazoles

An industrially practical method for the synthesis of substituted benzimidazoles was developed from an enzymatic electrochemical cascade method.

Transition metal free, green and facile halogenation of ketene dithioacetals using a KX–oxidant system

A facile oxidative halogenation of α-oxo ketene dithioacetals is achieved by using a potassium halide and an oxidant combination under transition metal free conditions at ambient temperature.

Metal free, facile sulfenylation of ketene dithioacetals catalyzed by an HBr–DMSO system

A transition metal free, efficient, sulfenylation of ketene dithioacetals catalyzed by an HBr–DMSO system is achieved. This strategy employs inexpensive and readily available HBr and DMSO to provide a direct C–H bond sulfenylation with a broad range of aryl thiols. This sulfenylated product is also transformed for the synthesis of pyrazole derivatives in excellent yield.

Metal-Free Vinyl C-H Sulfenylation/Alkyl Thiolation of Ketene Dithioacetals for the Synthesis of Polythiolated Alkenes

The sulfenylation of the vinyl C-H bond in ketene dithioacetals leading to the synthesis of polythiolated alkenes is achieved via the promotion of molecular iodine. In addition, alkyl thiols also exhibit tolerance to the C-H bond elaboration reaction for the synthesis of corresponding alkylthiolated ketene dithioacetals.

Ultrasound-assisted one-pot multicomponent 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition strategy: combinatorial synthesis of spiro-acenaphthylene-S,S-acetal and 2H-pyranone derivatives

The stereo/regio/chemoselective syntheses of a library of novel spiro[acenaphthylene-1,3′-pyrrolizin]-2-one and spiro[acenaphthylene-1,5′-pyrrolo[1,2-c]thiazol]-2-one have been achieved through 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition.

Base-Promoted Selective Synthesis of 2H-Pyranones and Tetrahydronaphthalenes via Domino Reactions

A highly efficient domino protocol has been developed for the synthesis of 6-aryl-4-(methylthio/amine-1-yl)-2-oxo-2H-pyran-3-carbonitriles and 4-aryl-2-(amine-1-yl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalene-1-carbonitriles from simple and readily available α-aroylketene dithioacetals, malononitrile, secondary amines, and cyclohexanone. This elegant domino process involved consecutive addition-elimination, intramolecular cyclization, and ring opening and closing sequences. Notably, in situ generated 2-imino-4-(methylthio/amine-1-yl)-6-aryl-2H-pyran-3-carbonitrile plays multiple roles in the construction of various novel polyaromatic hydrocarbons.

One-pot chemo/regio/stereoselective generation of a library of functionalized spiro-oxindoles/pyrrolizines/pyrrolidines from α-aroylidineketene dithioacetals

An efficient chemo/regio/stereoselective synthesis of novel and functionalized spiro-oxindole/pyrrolizine/pyrrolidine scaffolds has been achieved.

Convenient one-pot multicomponent strategy for the synthesis of 6-pyrrolylpyrimidines

An easy method to construct diheteroaryls from α-aroylidineketene dithioacetals 2 in a multicomponent fashion. The reaction proceeds with high chemo/regioselectivity to give 4-alkoxy-6-(4-aryl-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-amines in high yields by reacting 2 with p-tolylsulfonyl)methyl isocyanide 3 (TosMIC), guanidine nitrate 5 and alcohol in the presence of NaH/THF via cycloaddition.