Chapter 4 - Synthesis and Biological Profiles of 4,5-, 1,5-, and 1,2-Diaryl-1H-imidazoles

In the last four decades, great attention had been devoted to the preparation and evaluation of the biological profiles of vicinal diaryl-substituted 1H-imidazoles. A comprehensive description of the literature data in this area was published in 2007. This chapter with 321 references focuses on updating this description providing an overview of the synthetic approaches to 4,5-, 1,5-, and 1,2-diaryl-1H-imidazole derivatives that have been developed from the end of 2006 up to the end of June 2016 and on detailing the biological and sometimes remarkable pharmacological properties of these substances. The results of the studies carried out in these years have in fact revealed that vicinal diaryl-substituted imidazoles include anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antitubercular, and anti-obesity agents as well as compounds with beneficial effects in treating Alzheimer’s disease and atherosclerosis. However, we need to point out that, due to space limitations, recent results concerning the synthesis and bioactivity of tri- and tetraaryl-1H-imidazoles have not been reviewed