Synthesis and cytotoxic/antimicrobial screening of 3-alkenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines

Abstract Polyaza-heterocycles show a plethora of biological properties and represent a significant percentage of clinically used drugs. However, the imizado[1,2-a]pyrimidine ring system needs more attention in terms of pharmaceutical applications. Herein, we report a sequence involving an aldolic condensation/bromination/Hantzsch reaction to construct a series of 3-alkenylimidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidines for exploring their cytotoxic and antimicrobial properties. After performing a preliminary screening, two compounds displayed good cytotoxicity against prostate, breast, and colon cancer types; bulky and an extra phenyl attached at the styryl moiety seem to be a requirement for good activity. With respect to the antimicrobial effect, some compounds showed considerable inhibition against multi-drug resistant K. pneumoniae, one of the most threating bacteria nowadays. Thus, the series may become the basis for the design of more active compounds.