1, 4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octanium diacetate: An effective, mild and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of 2,4,5–trisubstituted imidazoles

1, 4-Diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octanium diacetate supplies an environmentally friendly procedure for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles through one-pot multicomponent condensation of benzyl or benzoin and ammonium acetate with various aldehydes. These compounds were obtained in high yields and short reaction times. The catalyst could be easily recovered and reused for five cycles with almost consistent activity. All of synthesized compounds were characterized by their physical constant, comparison with authentic samples, IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.