The methanesulfonylation of 2-benzimidazolemethanol and α(2-benzimidazolyl)benzyl alcohol

Treatment of 2-benzimidazolemethanol (4) with methanesulfonyl chloride and pyridine in chloroform afforded 2-(chloromethyl)-1-(methylsulfonyl)benzimidazole (6), which was also prepared by methanesulfonylation of 2-(chloromethyl)benzimidazole. Methanesulfonylation of α-(2-benzimidazolyl)benzyl alcohol (8) in chloroform yielded 2-(α-chlorobenzyl)-1-(methylsulfonyl)benzimidazole. 1-(Methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolemethanol was obtained on methanesulfonylation of 4 pyridine at 0°, and α-[1-(methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolyl]benzyl alcohol (12) was prepared from 8 by using the same reaction conditions. The reaction of 1-acetyl-2-(chloromethyl)-benzimidazole with silver methanesulfonate in benzene gave 1-acetyl-O-(methylsulfonyl)-2-benzimidazolemethanol. Compound 6 has some antitumor activity in the KB cell-culture system, and some antibacterial activity in the Staphylococcus aureus test-system; it is also active in preventing anaphylactic shock in a mouse test-system.