Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of N1-benzyl/butyl-2-methyl-4-nitro-3-imidazolium 3΄-chloroperoxy benzoates

Abstract

Abstract A series of nine imidazolium salts namely N1-(4-Substituted benzyl-2-methyl-4-nitro-3-imidazolium 3΄-chloroperoxy benzoates (5a-f) and N1-Butyl-2-methyl-4-nitro-3-imidazolium 3΄-chloroperoxy benzoates (5g-i) were synthesized, characterized and in vitro screened for their antimicrobial activity with the aim to develop novel imidazolium-based salts with broad-spectrum chemotherapeutical activities. The structure of synthesized 3a-i and 5a-i have been confirmed by elemental analysis and spectral techniques (FT-IR, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR spectral studies) and evaluated for their in vitro antibacterial activity against two gram-positive (Bacillus Subtilis and Staphylococcus Aureus), two gram-negative (Escherichia Coli and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa) bacterial strains and antifungal activity against Aspergillus Niger and Candida Albicans strains. All the synthesized compounds 3a-i and 5a-i showed moderate to excellent antibacterial and antifungal activity compared to the corresponding parent imidazole 1a. Among them, the compound 5e had more activity than other compounds against all bacterial strains and compound 5a and 5g had more activity than other compounds against all fungal strains.