Synthesis of some nitrogen heterocycles and in vitro evaluation of their antimicrobial and antitumor activity

Treatment of ethyl β-aryl-α-cyanoacrylate (2a, b) with thiourea, guanidine hydrochloride, and thiosemicarbazide in presence of anhydrous potassium carbonate in methanol led to formation of pyrimidine derivatives 3 and 5 and thiosemicarbazone derivative 9. Thiazole derivative 10 was prepared via cyclization of thiosemicarbazone derivative 9 with 4-methoxy phenacyl bromide. Acetylation of 3a, 5, and 10 with acetic anhydride yielded the acetoxy and N-acetyl derivatives 4, 6, and 11. The mass-spectral fragmentation patterns of nitrogen heterocycles were investigated to elucidate the structure of the prepared compounds. Biological studies of nitrogen heterocycles were carried out to investigate their antimicrobial and anticancer activities; it was found that compounds 5, 10, and 11 were highly active against bacteria and fungi, and compounds 3a and 3b were also active against bacteria and fungi.