Synthesis and antimicrobial activities of silver(I) 3-(substituted phenyl)sulfanylpropenoates.

We investigated the reactions of silver nitrate with 3-(substituted phenyl)-2-sulfanylpropenoic acids H(2)L [L=xspa, where spa=2-sulfanylpropenoato and xin{Clp=3-(2-chlorophenyl)-, -o-mp=3-(2-methoxyphenyl)-, -o-hp=3-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-, -p-hp=3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-, diBr-o-hp=3-(3,5-dibromo-2-hydroxyphenyl)-}] in 1:1 and 2:1 molar ratios. The 1:1 reactions gave compounds of type [Ag(HL)], which reacted with NaOH to afford Na[Ag(L)].xH(2)O (x=1 or 2) and with diisopropylamine to afford [HQ][Ag(L)] (HQ=diisopropylammonium). The 2:1 reactions gave products of type [Ag(2)(L)]. All the new compounds were isolated and characterized by IR spectroscopy, and all except the 2:1 adducts (which were insoluble) were studied by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy; ESI-MS spectrometry was also used for [HQ][Ag(L)] and Na[Ag(L)].xH(2)O, and the crystal structures of H(2)Clpspa and [HQ][Ag(Clpspa)] were determined by X-ray diffractometry. The antimicrobial activities of the complexes against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa were evaluated and compared with those of Ag(I) complexes with other aryl sulfanylpropenoates or related ligands.