Three new hydrazide and five new hydrazonoyl derivatives were synthesized. The chemical structures of these compounds were confirmed by 1H-NMR, IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The prepared compounds were tested for their activity to inhibit photosynthetic electron transport in spinach chloroplasts and growth of the green algae Chlorella vulgaris. IC50 values of these compounds varied in wide range, from a strong to no inhibitory effect. EPR spectroscopy showed that the active compounds interfered with intermediates Z•/D•, which are localized on the donor side of photosystem II. Fluorescence spectroscopy suggested that the mechanism of inhibitory action of the prepared compounds possibly involves interactions with aromatic amino acids present in photosynthetic proteins.
Keywords: N′-[2,6-dinitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]hydrazides; N′-[2,6-dinitro-4-[trifluoromethyl)phenyl]hydrazonoyl derivatives; green algae; photosynthesis inhibition; spinach chloroplasts.