## 2 Materials and Methods
### Synthesis of Triphenyl Imidazole Derivatives  
A mixture of ammonium acetate (5 Eq) and acetic acid (10 mL) were refluxed; after five minutes of constant dripping, 1 Eq of the appropriate aldehyde (**1-13**) was added; finally after another five minutes, 1 Eq of benzil was added. Reflux was continued until completion of the reaction (verified by Thin-layer chromatography). To stop the reaction, ammonium hydroxide was added up to a pH of 9, the formed precipitate was filtered, washed using cold water, and dried. To purify the product, column chromatography or recrystallization was employed. Confirmation of all structures were achieved by mass and NMR spectra, as discussed below:  
2,4,5-triphenylimidazole **(1)**: White powder (yield 95%). C\({}_{21}\)H\({}_{16}\)N\({}_{2}\). Mp = \(>\)250 \({}^{\circ}\)C. IR (KBr, cm\({}^{-1}\)) = 3037(C-H aromatic), 1599 (C-C), 1323 (C-N) cm\({}^{-1}\). \({}^{1}\)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 7.97 (d, \(J\) = 7.6 Hz, 2H), 7.51 (d, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 4H), 7.47 (t, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.40-7.27 (m, 7H). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 146.29, 132.63, 131.93, 129.04, 128.75, 128.56, 128.21, 127.92, 127.27. GC-MS (_m/z_) = 296 [M]\({}^{+}\) (97), 281 (18), 207 (63), 165 (100), 147 (20), 73 (46). 2-(4,5-diphenyl-1\(\cdot\)1\(H\)-imidazol-2-yl) phenol **(2)**: White powder (yield 99%). C\({}_{21}\)H\({}_{16}\)N\({}_{2}\)O. Mp = 210-212 \({}^{\circ}\)C. IR (KBr, cm\({}^{-1}\)) = 3205 (O-H), 1601 (C-C aromatic), 1326 (C-N) cm\({}^{-1}\). \({}^{1}\)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 7.70 (dd, \(J\) 1 = 6.4, \(J\) = 1.0 Hz, 1H), 7.54 (dd, \(J\) 1 = 8.0, \(J\) = 1.6 Hz, 4H), 7.37 (m, 6H), 7.25 (m, 1H), 7.11 (d, \(J\) = 8.0, \(J\) = 1.0 Hz, 1H), 6.86 (dd, \(J\) 1 = 8.0, \(J\) = 1.0 Hz, 1H). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 157.03, 145.17, 130.90, 128.81, 128.38, 128.23, 127.88, 124.30, 119.13, 117.87, 111.81. GC-MS (_m/z_) = 312.3 [M]\({}^{+}\) (100), 283.1 (8), 209.1 (4), 165.2 (65), 77.2 (15). 4-(4,5-diphenyl-1\(\cdot\)1\(H\)-imidazol-2-yl) phenol **(3)**: White powder (yield 94%). C\({}_{21}\)H\({}_{16}\)N\({}_{2}\)O. Mp = 248-250 \({}^{\circ}\)C. IR (KBr, cm\({}^{-1}\)) = 3423 (O-H), 3056 (C-H aromatic), 1609 (C-C aromatic), 1280 (C-N) cm\({}^{-1}\). \({}^{1}\)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 6.80 (d, 2H), 7.85 (d, \(J\) = 8.0 Hz, 2H), 7.46-7.19 (m, 10H). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 157.27, 146.25, 127.64, 126.56, 121.36, 114.98. GC-MS (_m/z_) = 312 [M]\({}^{+}\) (93), 281 (14), 207 (55), 165 (100), 73 (39). 2-(4-methoxyphenylyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1\(\cdot\)1\(H\)-imidazole **(4)**: White powder (yield 91%). C\({}_{22}\)H\({}_{18}\)N\({}_{2}\)O. Mp = 230-232 \({}^{\circ}\)C. IR (KBr, cm\({}^{-1}\)) = 2958 (C-H aromatic), 1492 (C-C aromatic), 1251 (C-O), 1027 (C-N) cm\({}^{-1}\). \({}^{1}\)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 7.86 (d, \(J\) = 8.8 Hz, 2H), 7.50 (d, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 4H), 7.32-7.23 (m, 6H), 6.94 (d, \(J\) = 8.8 Hz, 2H), 3.80 (s, 3H). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 159.83, 146.56, 128.23, 127.89, 127.00, 122.70, 113.97, 55.11. GC-MS (_m/z_) = 326.2 [M]\({}^{+}\) (100), 311.2 (32), 283.1 (12), 165.2 (24), 77.1 (9). 2-(3-methoxyphenylyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1\(\cdot\)1\(H\)-imidazole **(5)**: White powder (yield 90%). C\({}_{22}\)H\({}_{18}\)N\({}_{2}\)O. Mp = \(>\)250 \({}^{\circ}\)C. IR (KBr, cm\({}^{-1}\)) = 2998 (C-H aromatic), 2961 (C-H, aliphatic), 1485 (C-C aromatic), 1243 (C-O), 1201 (C-N) cm\({}^{-1}\). \({}^{1}\)H NMR (400 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 12.68 (s, 1H), 7.69 (m, 2H), 7.56 (d, \(J\) = 7.6 Hz, 2H), 7.51 (d, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.46 (t, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.39 (t, \(J\) = 7.6 Hz, 2H), 7.31 (t, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 2H), 7.23 (t, \(J\) = 6.8 Hz, 1H), 6.95 (d, \(J\) = 7.2 Hz, 1H), 3.83 (s, 3H). \({}^{13}\)C NMR (100 MHz, CDCl\({}_{3}\)) 8: 160.02, 145.81, 137.52, 135.60, 132.10, 131.53, 130.25, 129.11, 128.95, 128.63, 128.26, 127.52, 126.96, 118.08, 114.67, 110.64, 55.67. GC-MS (_m/z_) = 326 [M]\({}^{+}\) (100), 282 (10), 207 (10), 165 (74), 89 (28), 77 (21), 44 (61).