Parallel synthesis of substituted imidazoles from 1,2-aminoalcohols

Substituted imidazoles can be prepared efficiently from cyclic or acyclic 1,2-aminoalcohols via a four-step procedure involving acylation of the amine, oxidation of the alcohol, imine formation and cyclization. Examples are presented and the methodology is applied in the generation of a library of compounds containing a fused imidazole-azepine motif.