The new bioglycerol-based carbon catalyst acts as an efficient, readily available, and reusable catalyst for the synthesis of 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazoles/1,2,4,5-tetrasubstituted imidazoles, when aromatic aldehyde, ammonium acetate/amine, and 1,2-diketone are reacted in acetonitrile. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.