Novel plastoquinone analogs containing benzocaine and its analogs: structure-based design, synthesis, and structural characterization

Introducing new biologically active organic molecules or their analogs into the pharmaceutically important molecules significantly enables the discovery and development of the medicines that improve the health of patients. Chemical synthesis has a key role in pharmaceutical research and development, aiming to design and build molecules with the essential biological activity needed in drugs. For that reason, herein, three series of novel PQ analogs (the nonhalogenated (PQ1-6) and the halogenated PQ analogs (BrPQ1-6 and ClPQ1-6)) containing benzocaine and its analogs were designed and synthesized starting from the commercially available dimethylhydroquinone (1) with benzocaine and its analogs. The structures of all synthesized analogs were characterized by using spectroscopic methods. The in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities were evaluated for the PQ analogs.