Bismuth(III) triflate catalyzed synthesis of substituted hexahydroimidazo[1, 2-a]pyridines

The synthesis of nitrogen containing heterocycles is of particular interest in the pharmaceutical industry due to the numerous biological activities exhibited by such compounds. Their synthesis using multicomponent reactions saves steps, and minimizes waste generation. We have investigated the utility of bismuth(III) triflate as a catalyst for the multicomponent synthesis of a series of hexahydroimidazo[1, 2-a]pyridines. Bismuth(III) compounds are especially attractive from a green chemistry perspective because they are remarkably nontoxic, non-corrosive and relatively inexpensive. The results of this study will be presented