Acetic anhydride mediated condensation of aromatic o-diacid dichlorides with benzimidazoles to provide electro-reducible p-dione adducts

Acetic anhydride mediates a facile and rapid condensation of benzimidazole with aromatic o-diacid dichlorides to precipitate p-dione adducts in excellent yields. Condensation with pyridine-3,4-dicarbonyl dichloride produced a 1:1 mixture of isomeric p-diones. The X-ray crystal structure of one of the latter isomers revealed unusual high density, and inter-layer separation similar to graphite. Cyclic voltammetry demonstrated that p-dione is capable of two consecutive one-electron-reductions with formal potentials influenced by the fused (hetero)aromatic and substituent effects.