A one-pot three-component reaction to access 1-alkyl-2-aryl-5-nitrobenzimidazoles under solvent-free conditions

A novel and expeditious method to access 1-alkyl-2-aryl-5-nitrobenzimidazoles has been developed. Enlisting solvent-free conditions, 2-fluoro-5-nitroaniline, a primary amine, and substituted aldehyde were melted together in one-pot to generate a variety of 1-alkyl-2-aryl-5-nitrobenzimidazoles.