Synthesis, Characterization and Biological Evaluation of α, β-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds via Claisen-Schmidt Condensation

The current research work presents the synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation of α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds synthesized through Claisen-Schmidt condensation reactions. Substituted aromatic aldehydes, cinnamaldehyde, and p-diethylamino benzaldehyde, were allowed to react with acetophenone and acetone in the presence of basic conditions using ethanolic sodium hydroxide as a catalyst. The reaction worked well at a controlled temperature to yield four different α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds in good yields. The synthesized compounds were purified through recrystallization and characterized through physicochemical analysis, such as melting point determination. The confirmation of the synthesized compounds was done through spectroscopic analysis, such as IR, which confirmed the presence of conjugated carbonyl (C=O) and olefinic (C=C) functional groups, thus confirming the formation of the α, β-unsaturated system. The biological activity of the synthesized compounds was tested against certain microbial strains to determine their antimicrobial activity. The results showed that the derivatives had promising activity, thus confirming that α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds have significant pharmacological properties. The study thus shows an effective and efficient method for the synthesis of biologically active α, β-unsaturated carbonyl compounds through Claisen-Schmidt condensation reactions