An Efficient Copper-Mediated Route for the Synthesis of 2-Substituted Benzothiazoles from Dithioesters and Investigation of Their Antibacterial Activities

An efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-aryl/2-aroylbenzothiazoles through copper-mediated condensation of 2-chloroanilines with dithioesters has been developed. The method provides good isolated yields and exhibits broad functional group tolerance, accommodating both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups on the substrates. A series of synthesized compounds was evaluated for their antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Salmonella paratyphi. Among the series, three compounds exhibited a significant inhibitory effect against the tested pathogens, with one also demonstrating potential as an effective compound in both the agar well diffusion assay and broth microdilution assay. Additionally, the three compounds displayed strong inhibitory effects on biofilm formation of the pathogens in both the crystal violet assay and MTT assay at a concentration of 10 mM. These findings highlight the promising antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of these compounds, indicating the potential for their further investigation as potential therapeutic agents against the tested pathogens.

Automated summary

An efficient one-pot synthesis of 2-aryl/2-aroylbenzothiazoles was developed via copper-mediated condensation of 2-chloroanilines with dithioesters. The synthesized compounds exhibited promising antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties, with three compounds showing significant inhibitory effects against tested pathogens and strong inhibitory effects on biofilm formation.