An Articulate Oxidative Transition-Metal-Free Homocoupling of Imidazo Heterocycles through C(sp2)–C(sp2) Bond Formation

Abstract

Direct oxidative homocoupling of 2-arylimidazo heterocycles was achieved by using a phenyliodine diacetate-mediated BF3·OEt2-accelerated protocol at room temperature. A series of biimidazo heterocycles were synthesized under ambient conditions without prior activation of the C(sp2)–H bond. The desired biimidazo heterocycles were also obtained by using catalytic amounts of iodobenzene and m-CPBA/AcOH in an organocatalytic fashion.