“All‐Water” Chemistry of Tandem N‐Alkylation—Reduction—Condensation for Synthesis of N‐Arylmethyl‐2‐substituted Benzimidazoles.

Water plays the crucial role of hydrogen bond mediated electrophile-nucleophile dual activation during the selective N-monoalkylation of nitroanilines that forms the basis of regiodefined installation of the substituents in their respective positions in the benzimidazole framework.