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Design and Synthesis of Novel Schiff Bases with Antimicrobial Activity

Author:Uditanshu Sah
Affiliation: Kalinga University, Master of science in Chemistry

Abstract:Schiff bases are an important class of organic compounds characterized by the presence of the azomethine (–C=N–) functional group. They have shown diverse biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer properties. In this study, a series of novel Schiff base derivatives were synthesized via condensation of various aromatic aldehydes with primary amines under reflux conditions in ethanol. The synthesized compounds were purified and characterized using infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). The antimicrobial activity of the synthesized compounds was evaluated against selected Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis), Gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), and fungal (Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger) strains using the agar well diffusion method. Results demonstrated that Schiff bases bearing electron-withdrawing groups (e.g., –NO₂, –Cl) exhibited enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to unsubstituted or electron-donating analogs. Structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis indicated that the azomethine group and aromatic substituents significantly influenced biological potency. These findings suggest that the synthesized Schiff bases have potential as novel antimicrobial agents and provide a foundation for further pharmacological studies.Keywords: Schiff bases, azomethine, antimicrobial activity, Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, structure activity relationship