Cu(I)‐Catalyzed Synthesis of 2‐Substituted Benzimidazoles from 2‐Iodoanilines and Amides

A novel and efficient approach to the synthesis of 2-substituted benzimidazoles has been developed via CuI/DMEDA-catalyzed coupling reaction and post-cyclization with glacial acetic acid from readily available 2-iodoanilines and amides. This method is suitable for the construction of a variety of benzimidazoles in moderate to good yields under short reaction times.