Synthesis of some biologically active 2,4’-bipyridine-5-carbonitriles carrying the 4-Aminohenylthio moiety

Abstract: A series of new 6-amino-4aryl-2’-[(4-Aminophenyl)thio]-2,4’-bipyridine-5-carbonitriles (3a-h) were synthesized from 4-aminothiophenol (1). The reaction of 4-aminothiophenol with 4-acetyl-2-chloropyridine yielded 1-{2-[(4-aminophenyl)thio]pyridin-4-yl}ethanone(2).Furthertreatment of 2 with aromatic aldehydes in the presence of alcoholic malanonitrile in ammonium acetate gave compounds (3a-h). The structures of the newly synthesized compounds were established on the basis of their elemental analysis, as well as their IR and 1H-NMR spectral data. All the title compounds were subjected to in vitro antibacterial testing against two strains and antifungal screening against two fungi. Some of the compounds showed promising activity.