Synthesis and antibacterial properties of methylsulfinyl and methylsulfonyl analongs of some nitrofurans.

The sulfoxides 5-methylsulfinyl-2-furaldehyde semicarbazone (2) and 1-[(5-methylsulfinyl-2-fufurylidene)amino]hydantoin (3) as well as the sulfones 1-[(5-methylsulfonyl-2-furfurylidene)animo]hydantoin (1) and 1-(5-methylsulfonly-2-furyl)-2-(6-amino-3-p-ridazyl)ethylene hydrochloride (4) have been prepared and tested for antibacterial activity against a number of gram-negative and gram-positive organisms. The compounds are much less active than the corresponding 5-nitrofuran derivatives, possibly because their reduction potentials are too negative for them to interfere with reductive enzyme systems within the bacteria.