Efficient one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles using SBA-Pr-SO3H as a green nano catalyst

Sulfonic acid functionalized SBA-15 nanoporous material (SBA-Pr-SO3H) with a pore size of 6 nm was found to be a green and effective solid acid catalyst in the one-pot synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted and 1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles under solvent-free conditions. SBA-PrSO3H was proved to be a recyclable, green, and highly efficient catalyst which could be easily handled, recovered, and reused several times without significant loss of reactivity. (C) 2013 Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of King Saud University.