Applications of microwave technology to rapid synthesis of substituted imidazoles on silica-supported SbCl3 as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst

One-pot cyclo-condensation of benzil, aldehydes, ammonium acetate and primary amines were used to synthesize 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted-1H-imidazole derivatives under microwave irradiation with silica-supported SbCl3 (SbCl3/SiO2) as a heterogeneous catalyst. The operational simplicity, practicability and applicability of this protocol to various substrates make it an interesting alternative to previous procedures. From the environmental stand-point, this eco-friendly, green catalyst is stable, highly active, easy to prepare and handle.