Ferrocene Amino Acid Ester Uracil Conjugates: Synthesis, Structure, Electrochemistry and Antimicrobial Evaluation

Ferrocene-amino acid ester-uracil conjugates, derived from four amino acids (l-alanine, glycine, β-alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid), were synthesized via the Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition as the key step. The new compounds were characterized spectroscopically and by single-crystal X-ray crystallography in the case of the derivatives of glycine (monoclinic, P21/c) and γ-aminobutyric acid (orthorhombic, Pca21). Electrochemical measurements showed subtle influence of the compounds’ structure on the redox potential of the Fc/Fc+ couple. Among the four compounds tested for antimicrobial activity, the conjugate obtained from l-alanine possessed weak antifungal activity against Candida guillermondii.