Development of DNA-Compatible Van Leusen Three-Component Imidazole Synthesis.

DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) have generated recent interest due to their ability to provide new small molecule ligands for pharmaceutically important proteins. The chemical diversity of DELs determines their ability to provide potent, novel, and drug-like chemical matter, and DEL chemical diversity is limited by the scope of DNA-compatible chemical reactions. Herein, the one-pot three-component Van Leusen chemistry is applied to DEL synthesis, providing the first reported DNA-compatible method to generate novel highly functionalized imidazoles.