Spectroscopic analysis and molecular docking of imidazole derivatives and investigation of its reactive properties by DFT and molecular dynamics simulations

Abstract

Solvent-free synthesis pathway for obtaining two imidazole derivatives (2-chloro-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4,5-dimethyl-1H-imidazole (CLMPDI) and 1-(4-bromophenyl)-2-chloro-4,5-dimethyl-1H-imidazole (BPCLDI) has been reported in this work, followed by detailed experimental and computational spectroscopic characterization and reactivity study. Spectroscopic methods encompassed IR, FT-Raman and NMR techniques, with the mutual comparison of experimentally and computationally obtained results at DFT/B3LYP level of theory. Reactivity study based on DFT calculations encompassed molecular orbitals analysis, followed by calculations of molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and average local ionization energy (ALIE) values, Fukui functions and bond dissociation energies (BDE). Additionally, the stability of title molecules in water has been investigated via molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, while interactivity with aspulvinonedimethylallyl transferase protein has been evaluated by molecular docking procedure. CLMPDI compound showed antimicrobial activity against all four bacterial strain in both gram positive and gram negative bacteria while, BPCLDI showed only in gram positive bacteria, Staphylococcus Aureus (MTCC1144). The first order hyperpolarizability of CLMPDI and BPCLDI are 20.15 and 6.10 times that of the standard NLO material urea.