Efficient Synthesis of Novel Benzamides from Azo-oxazolone: Molecular Docking, Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Evaluation. a Karwan Hasan Azeez, b Mohammed Kareem Samad a Chemistry Department, Education College, Salahaddin University-Erbil, karwan.azeez@su

This study paper attempted to synthesize a novel azo-oxazolone using a stepwise chemical reaction, which facilitated the creation of a series of azo-benzamide derivatives (5a-j). Various characterization techniques, including FT-IR, 1H-NMR, and 13C-NMR, were employed for structural elucidation. The elevated biological efficacy of newly synthesized compounds was demonstrated through their antioxidant capacity and antibacterial activity against both grampositive and gram-negative bacteria using the disk diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of the investigated compounds exhibited larger inhibition zones against gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) compared to gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli). The antioxidant efficacy of the various produced compounds was evaluated experimentally and compared to ascorbic acid as the reference. Four distinct concentrations (100, 200, 300, and 400 µg) of the investigated compounds were exposed to DPPH radicals for 30 minutes; the study indicated that free radical scavenging activity increased with both concentration and extension of the reaction period up to 60 minutes. Molecular docking simulations were performed to examine the binding interactions of novel azo-oxazolone and azo-benzamide compounds with a specific biological target. The docking research demonstrated unique binding affinities and interaction characteristics between the two groups of compounds. Azo-benzamide derivatives demonstrated the most advantageous binding energies and enhanced interactions, particularly via hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking, indicating a greater affinity for the active site.