Fluoro-containing Heterocycles. IV. Synthesis of Benzimidazole Derivatives

2-Mercapto-5,6-difluorobenzimidazole reacts with aliphatic and alicyclic ketones in acetic acid in the presence of catalytic amount of sulfuric acid to afford fluorinated derivatives of 2,3-disubstituted benz[4,5]imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazoles. Reaction with aromatic -haloketones occurs in another way: to furnish 2-phenylacylthio-5,6-difluorobenzimidazoles that in the system acetic anhydride-pyridine undergo cyclization into the corresponding fluorinated derivatives of benz[4,5]imidazo[2,1-b][1,3]thiazoles.