Fluorine-containing heterocycles continue to receive considerable attention due to their unique properties. In medicinal chemistry, the incorporation of fluorine in small molecules imparts a significant enhancement their biological activities compared to non-fluorinated molecules. In this short review, we will highlight the importance of incorporating fluorine as a basic appendage in benzothiazole and benzimidazole skeletons. The chemistry and pharmacological activities of heterocycles containing fluorine during the past years are compiled and discussed.

To design new compounds suitable as starting points for anticancer drug development, we have synthesized a novel series of benzoxazoles with pharmaceutically advantageous piperazine and fluorine moieties attached to them. The newly synthesized benzoxazoles and their corresponding precursors were evaluated for cytotoxicity on human A-549 lung carcinoma cells and non-cancer HepaRG hepatocyes. Some of these new benzoxazoles show potential anticancer activity, while two of the intermediates show lung cancer selective properties at low concentrations where healthy cells are unaffected, indicating a selectivity window for anticancer compounds.

A progress report on the synthesis and characterisation of a series of fluorinated chiral bi-mesogen low molar mass organosiloxane materials is presented. The mesogenic moiety is identical to that in the TSiKN65F mono-mesogen material reported by Naciri et al., which displays a de Vries-type SmA* phase. The parameter varied across the series is the length of the alkyl chain linking the mesogen moiety to the siloxane. The material with 10 carbon atoms in the chains displays a stable smectic phase with ferroelectric response at room temperature, whereas the materials with 6, 7 and 8 carbon atoms tend to crystallize.

The design and synthesis of new, safe and potent molecules to apply against soil-borne pathogens is a critical goal for organic and bio-medicinal chemists. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of benzimidazole-based carbamate derivatives (7a–f), as soil-borne anti-fungals. The derivatives 7a–f were all synthesized in multi-step reactions with acceptable yields. The structures of 7a–f were all identified and characterized using ¹H-NMR, IR, HRMS, and melting point calculations. The final compounds were tested on five soil-borne pathogens. The results of various bio-assays showed that compounds 7a-3, 7a-2, 7b-2, 7a-1 and 7b-1 significantly affected the growth of Pythium aphanidermatum, a serious pathogen affecting vegetable crops worldwide. Compounds 7a-1 and 7b-1 were the most efficacious, which resulted in a 96% growth inhibition in Pythium at 100 mg L⁻¹. In conclusion, we reported the potent carbamate derivatives as soil-borne anti-fungals, and believe that the synthesis of more derivatives related to the current scaffold would be beneficial.