Efficient Green Synthesis and Characterization of Benzil and its Derivatives Using Microwave Irradiation

The main aim of the present work was to conduct the one-pot microwave-assisted green synthesis of benzil and its derivatives. Benzil is acknowledged as a pivotal scaffold in the realm of medicinal and organic chemistry, owing to its extensive utilities. Due to the various merits of the green technology approach compared to classical methodology and the provision of sustainable chemistry, this reaction has received renewed interest for preparing benzil derivatives in an environmentally friendly manner with improved yields. We have, herein, presented a highly efficient route for the synthesis of benzil derivatives utilizing acetophenone and benzene derivatives as primary substrates. Notably, this synthesis obviates the necessity for any potentially hazardous catalyst and employs microwave irradiation and iodine green oxidant to facilitate the reaction. All synthesized compounds were characterized by spectroscopic techniques, such as IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectrometry. A green and efficient microwave-assisted synthesis methodology for benzil and its derivatives has been developed using iodine green oxidant. This approach has yielded the desired benzil derivatives with remarkable efficiency, achieving yields ranging from 91% to 97% within a short time of 10-15 minutes; the derivatives have been characterized using spectral techniques, viz., IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectrometry. It is noteworthy that the entire reaction optimization process has been conducted in an environmentally friendly manner, thereby exemplifying a synthetic methodology being both environmentally sustainable and economically viable, compared to conventional techniques.