Oxazolidone

2-Oxazolidone is a heterocyclic organic compound containing both nitrogen and oxygen in a 5-membered ring. 2-Oxazolidone is a heterocyclic organic compound containing both nitrogen and oxygen in a 5-membered ring. Oxazolidinones are a class of compounds containing 2-oxazolidone in the structure. In chemistry, they are useful as Evans auxiliaries, which are used for chiral synthesis. Usually, the acid chloride substrate reacts with the oxazolidinone to form an imide. Substituents at the 4 and 5 position of the oxazolidinone direct any aldol reaction to the alpha position of the carbonyl of the substrate. Oxazolidinones are mainly used as antimicrobials. The antibacterial effect of oxazolidinones is by working as protein synthesis inhibitors, targeting an early step involving the binding of N-formylmethionyl-tRNA to the ribosome. (See Linezolid#Mechanism of action) Some of the most important oxazolidinones are antibiotics.