Synthesis of 1-substituted phenazines as novel antichlamydial agents

A novel series of 1-substituted phenazines 4a-4l were designed and synthesized via Palladium-catalyzed reactions from 1-phenazine trifluoromethanesulfonate. These phenazines showed antichlamydial activity with IC50 values from 1 to 10 mu M. Among them, compounds 4c and 4i exhibited the best antichlamydial activity with IC50 values from 2.06 to 2.74 mu M without apparent cytotoxicity to host cells.