Synthesis, Characterization, and Antibacterial Activity of Cinnamylideneacetophenone Compound from Cinnamaldehyde and 2-acetonaphthone

This research focuses on the synthesis and evaluation of the antibacterial activity of the compound cinnamylideneacetophenone, achieved through an aldol condensation reaction using cinnamaldehyde as the aromatic aldehyde and 2-acetylnaphthalene as the aromatic ketone. The primary objective of this study was to successfully synthesize cinnamylideneacetophenone and assess its antibacterial properties against specific bacterial strains. The synthesis resulted in a yield of 89.15%, and the synthesized compound was characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to confirm its structural integrity. Following characterization, the target compound was identified as 1-(2-naphthyl)-5-phenyl-2,4-pentadien-1-one. However, when tested for antibacterial activity using the agar diffusion method against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, the results indicated that the synthesized chalcone analog exhibited weak antibacterial properties, with an inhibition zone diameter of less than 5 mm. In conclusion, while cinnamylideneacetophenone was successfully synthesized and characterized, its antibacterial activity was limited, suggesting further research to explore modifications that could enhance its efficacy as an antibacterial agent.