A simple and efficient procedure for the synthesis of substituted benzimidazoles through a one-pot condensation of o-phenylenediamines with aryl aldehydes in the presence of H2O2/HCl system in acetonitrile at room temperature is described. Short reaction time, large-scale synthesis, easy and quick isolation of the products, and excellent yields are the main advantages of this procedure.
o-phenylenediamines - benzimidazoles - aryl aldehydes - hydrogen peroxide