5-(Alkylamino)-6-aryl/alkylpyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles were successfully synthesized in good to moderate yields by reacting alkyl isocyanides with aryl/alkyl carbonyl chlorides, followed by the addition of diaminomaleonitrile. The synthesized pyrazines were fully characterized in this investigation, and X-ray crystal structure analysis was performed on some derivatives. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of the newly synthesized pyrazine-2,3-dicarbonitriles were assessed in addition to their UV and fluorescence results. All the compounds showed similar UV-Vis spectral features with absorption peaks (λmax) around 267, 303, and 373 nm.
Keywords: antimicrobial; diaminomaleonitrile; fluorescence; isocyanide; pyrazine.