Improved synthesis of functionalized mesogenic 2,6-bisbenzimidazolylpyridine ligands

A versatile one-pot synthetic platform for the preparation of a range of functionalized 2,6-bisbenzimidazolylpyridine (Bip) derivatives is presented. This protocol significantly reduces the cost and time of previous synthetic routes, while facilitating scale up to multi-gram quantities in good yields (63-90%). The previous synthetic methodology was improved through judicious choice of the reducing agent and solvent in the reduction/ring-closing step. Via this platform, we also successfully accessed a mesogenic Bip ligand and herein report initial liquid crystalline properties of this derivative.