New 2-Azetidinone and 1,3-Oxazepine Derivatives: Synthesis, Characterization, Antimicrobial Activity, and Molecular Docking Analysis

Abstract

A novel series of 2-azetidinone and 1,3-oxazepine derivatives (6a–11a) was synthesized via cyclization and acylation reactions, starting from chalcone intermediate (1a) and proceeding through key pyrazoline (2a) and Schiff base intermediates (3a–5a). Structural characterization was performed using FT-IR, ¹H NMR, and GC-MS techniques. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella species, and Candida albicans, exhibiting moderate to potent inhibitory effects. To support the biological findings, molecular docking studies were carried out against the MurC enzyme, a crucial target in bacterial cell wall biosynthesis. The docking results revealed favorable binding interactions and showed good agreement with the in vitro activity, highlighting the potential of these derivatives as promising antimicrobial candidates.