1-isobutyl-2-methylimidazole: a versatile building block in biomedical material synthesis abstract: 1-isobutyl-2-methylimidazole (ibmi) is a heterocyclic compound possessing a unique combination of properties, including a protonatable nitrogen atom, steric hindrance around the nitrogen, and hydrophobicity imparted by the isobutyl substituent. these characteristics make ibmi a valuable building block in the synthesis of a wide range of...