Antibacterial 3-(arylamino)-1-ferrocenylpropan-1-ones: Synthesis, spectral, electrochemical and structural characterization

Syntheses of fourteen new 3-(arylamino)-1-ferrocenylpropan-1-ones have been achieved in good to excellent yields by an aza-Michael addition of different arylamines to acryloylferrocene. The reaction was performed by microwave (MW) irradiation (500 W/5 min) of a mixture of reactants and montmorillonite K-10, without a solvent. The obtained compounds were spectrally and electrochemically (cyclic voltammetry) fully characterized, whereas single-crystal X-ray analysis has been performed for three of them. In a microdilution assay, all of the compounds were shown to have a broad-spectrum effect on Gram-negative and -positive bacteria, although the degree of inhibition varied. A notable activity was observed for all compounds in inhibiting the growth of an important human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus.