An efficient and reusable heterogeneous catalyst Animal Bone Meal for facile synthesis of benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles

A library of benzimidazoles, benzoxazoles, and benzothiazoles was efficiently synthesized by condensation of o-phenylenediamine, o-aminophenol, and o-aminothiophenol respectively with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of catalytic amounts of Animal Bone Meal (ABM) and Lewis acids doped ABMs. Reactions were conducted under reflux conditions in air. The remarkable features of this new protocol are high conversion, short reaction times, and cleaner reaction profiles, straightforward procedure, and reduction in catalyst toxicity.