Improved Library of Pyrrolidine-2,3-dione Monomers as Antimicrobial and Antibiofilm Agents against Staphylococcus aureus.

The opportunistic nature of S. aureus, along with its tendency to develop resistance to antibiotics and ability to form biofilms readily, makes it a challenging pathogen to treat. This underscores the need for novel, evolving therapeutics. We report a new generation of pyrrolidine-2,3-dione monomers, accessed via a multicomponent reaction, with exciting antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities. The presence of a para-trifluoromethyl substituent on the scaffold's N-aryl substituent improved the biological profile of these analogs relative to previous generations.