An efficient protocol for the synthesis of new camphor pyrimidine and camphor thiazole derivatives using conventional and microwave irradiation techniques and in vitro evaluation as potential antimicrobial agents.

Background: A series of new pyrimidines and thiazoles containing camphor moiety were synthesized under both conventional and microwave irradiation techniques.

Methods: The condensation of camphor either with aminoguanidine or thiosemicarbazide gives the camphor hydrazine carboximidiamide 2 and the camphor thiosemicarbazone 3, respectively. Refluxing of 3 with chloroacetonitrile afforded the camphor thiazol-4-imine 4. Compounds 2 and 4 were used as precursors for the synthesis of target products.

Results: The reaction of 2 with different species such as arylidene malononitrile, acetylacetone, and ethyl acetoacetate gave the corresponding camphor pyrimidine derivatives 5a,b-7 while refluxing of compound 4 with different reagents e.g. aldehydes, isatin, ninhydrin, acetic anhydride, benzene sulphonyl chloride, and p-nitro-benzoyl chloride afforded the camphor thiazole derivatives 8a-d-13, respectively.

Conclusion: A comparison between the conventional way and the eco-friendly microwave irradiation method occurred in the synthesis of the same compounds, which the latter was more efficient. The elemental analysis, FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and Mass spectra confirm the structures of the obtained new compounds. The potential use of some selected derivatives as antimicrobial agents was investigated and gave promising results.