Synthesis of some fluorescent benzimidazole derivatives using cobalt(II) hydroxide as highly efficient catalyst--spectral and physico-chemical studies and ESIPT process.

Some fluorescent benzimidazole derivatives have been designed and synthesized using cobalt(ii) hydroxide as highly efficient catalyst. Synthesized compounds have been characterized by (1)H and (13)C-NMR and mass spectral analysis. The solvent effect on the absorption and fluorescence bands has been analyzed and supplemented by computational studies. Solvatochromic effects on the spectral position and profile of the stationary fluorescence spectra clearly indicate the charge transfer (CT) character of the emitting singlet states of all of the compounds studied in both polar and non-polar environments. The fluorescence decays for the benzimidazoles fit satisfactorily to a single exponential kinetics. HOMO and LUMO orbital pictures [DFT/B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)] evidence the existence of excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in benzimidazole derivatives containing a hydroxy group.