Figure 5.

(A) Schematic representation of the intramolecular cyclization and aromatization steps assisted by the 2-phenol group to afford 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenyl imidazole derivatives; (B) geometries of the transition states TS1.O_Ph, TS3_Ph, and TS4_Ph and the intermediate INT_Ph obtained by computational studies; and (C) free energy profiles for the formation of 1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2-phenyl imidazole derivatives. Only the phenoxide forms of the starting material, intermediates, and transition states are considered. Note the different arrangement of the CONH₂ group in TS1.O_Ph, in which the NH₂ group is pointing toward the imine moiety (yellow shadow), from that in transition states TS3_Ph and TS4_Ph and intermediate INT_Ph.