Synthesis of some benzimidazole-, pyridine- and imidazole-derived chelating agents

Procedures are described for the preparation of various bidentate and potentially tridentate chelating agents. These incorporate pyridyl, benzimidazole, imidazole or phenolic moieties. Phillips condensations of carboxylic acids with o-phenylenediamines were carried out in 4 M hydrochloric acid. Syntheses are reported for 2, 6-bis(N′-methylimidazol-2′-ylthiomethyl)pyridine, 2, 6-bis(benzimidazol-2′-ylthiomethyl)pyridine, 2-(4′-piperidyl)benzimidazole, 2-(3′-piperidyl)benzimidazole, 2-(3-N′-methylpiperidyl)benziinidazole, 2-(3-N′-methylpiperidyl)-N-methylbenzimidazole, 2-(2′-hydroxybenzyl)benzimidazole and 2-(2′-hydroxyben-zyl)N-methylbenzimidazole. The compounds were characterized where appropriate by their mass, uv, and ¹H-nmr spectra. 2-(2′-Hydroxybenzyl)benzimidazole hydrochloride acts as a gelling agent in aqueous solution.