A simple and efficient route to 2‐arylimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines and zolimidine using automated grindstone chemistry

Abstract

Abstract A green and efficient mechanochemical method for the synthesis of a series of 2‐arylimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines was developed using an electrical grinder. I 2 catalyzed mechanochemical grinding facilitates the cyclocondensation reaction between various aryl methyl ketones and 2‐aminopyridines to afford 2‐arylimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridines in good yields at ambient temperature. The method was successfully used for the gram‐scale synthesis of a marketed drug, zolimidine. The noticeable advantages of this environmentally sustainable protocol include mild conditions, simple instrumentation, inexpensive catalyst, atom economy, short reaction time etc.