White to light yellow powder
1H-Imidazole-4-carbaldehyde is a 4-formyl derivative of imidazole used in the preparation of C17,20-lyase inhibitor for the treatment of androgen-dependent prostate cancer. It is also used in the synthesis of other biologically active compounds such as antimalarial drugs, fabrication of colorimetric chemosensor.
1H-Imidazole-4-carbaldehyde may be used in the following studies:
Synthesis of new donor-Π-acceptor (D-Π-A) type dye. Preparation of ethyl, n-dodecyl and n-hexadecyl esters of urocanic acid (4-imidazoleacrylic acid). Fabrication of colorimetric chemosensor. Synthesis of chiral nickel(II) complex, [Ni(II)H3L](ClO4)2, having an achiral ligand H3L (tris{2-(4-imidazolyl)methyliminoethyl}amine).
To a solution of 4-bromo-1H-imidazole in dry THF at 0 ℃ was added, a 2 M solution of i-PrMgCl in THF for 5 min. The clear solution was stirred at that temperature for an additional 5 min, and a 2.5 M solution of n-BuLi in hexanes was added dropwise for 5 min while maintaining the temperature below 20 ℃. The resulting mixture was stirred at that temperature for 0.5 h, and dry DMF was added to 20℃. The mixture was warmed to 20 ℃ in 0.5 h and quenched with water (6 mL). After stirring for 10 min, the phases were separated, and the water phase was extracted one additional time with ethyl acetate. After purification to afford 1H-Imidazole-4-carbaldehyde as an off-white solid, 0.36 g (yield: 85%).

[1] Molecules, 2017, vol. 22, # 11,