2-Chloro-4-(3-chloro-propoxy)-benzaldehyde. 1-Bromo-3-chloropropane (2.55 g, 16.2 mmol, 1.0 equiv) was added to a solution of the 2-chloro-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2.54 g, 16.2 mmol, 1.0 equiv) and K2CO3 (4.48 g, 32.4 mmol, 2.0 equiv) in acetonitrile (41 mL). The mixture was heated at 65° C. for 18 h, then cooled to room temperature (rt) and filtered through diatomaceous earth. The filtrate was concentrated under reduced pressure yielding crude product, which was purified by column chromatography (silica gel, 5% ethyl acetate in hexanes) to afford 3.19 g of a colorless oil (66%). 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD): 10.3 (s, 1H), 7.87 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.10 (d, J=4.0 Hz, 1H), 7.03 (dd, J=8.0, 4.0 Hz, 1H), 4.23 (t, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 3.76 (t, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 2.31-2.22 (m, 2H). General Procedure 2. B. 2-Chloro-4-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-propoxy]-benzaldehyde. N-Methylpiperazine (2.16 g, 21.5 mmol, 2.0 equiv), 2-chloro-4-(3-chloro-propoxy)-benzaldehyde (3.19 g, 10.8 mmol, 1.0 equiv), K2CO3 (4.46 g, 32.3 mmol, 3.0 equiv), and KI (1.02 g, 5.38 mmol, 0.5 equiv) were stirred in n-butanol (22 mL) at 90° C. for 18 h. The reaction mixture was diluted with water and then extracted three times with ethyl acetate. The combined extracts were dried (Na2SO4), filtered, and concentrated, yielding the crude product, which was purified by Method 2 to afford 2.04 g (63%) of an orange oil. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD): 10.3 (s, 1H), 7.86 (d, J=8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.08 (d, J=2.0 Hz, 1H), 7.00 (dd, J=8.0, 2.0 Hz, 1H), 4.15 (t, J=8.0 Hz, 2H), 3.00-2.30 (br s, 10H), 2.29 (s, 3H), 2.05-1.90 (m, 2H). General Procedure 3. C. 2-{(2-Chloro-4-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-propoxy]-phenyl}-4,5-dimethyl-1H-benzoimidazole. 2-Chloro-4-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-propoxy]-benzaldehyde (91.5 mg, 0.31 mmol, 1.0 equiv) and 3,4-dimethyl-benzene-1,2-diamine (42 mg, 0.31 mmol, 1.0 equiv) were stirred with Na2S2O5 (76 mg, 0.40 mmol, 1.3 equiv) in DMF (0.25 M) at 90° C. for 12 h. The reaction mixture was loaded directly on silica gel and purified according to Method 2, which afforded 98 mg (76%) of the title compound. MS (electrospray): mass calculated for C23H29ClN4O, 412.20; m/z found, 413.4 [M+H]+. 1H NMR (400 MHz, CD3OD): 7.68 (br s, 1H), 7.33 (br s, 1H), 7.15 (d, J=2.5 Hz, 1H), 7.07 (d, J=8.7, 2.5 Hz, 1H), 7.03 (dd, J=8.7, 2.5 Hz, 1H), 4.13 (t, J=6.1 Hz, 2H), 2.60-2.39 (m, 13H), 2.39 (s, 3H), 2.30 (s, 3H), 2.05-1.95 (m, 2H).
