A simple two-step access to diversely substituted imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and benzimidazoles from readily available 2-imidazolines

We discovered a facile rearrangement of N-(hetero)aryl 2-imidazolines into diversely substituted imidazo[4,5-b]pyridines and benzimidazoles, under Bechamp reduction conditions. Combined with the earlier reported protocol for Pd-catalyzed (hetero)arylation of 2-imidazolines, it provides a simple two-step access to a range of compounds based on these medicinally important heterocyclic cores.