The synthesis, crystal structure and structural motif of two thiophene-based cyanoacrylate derivatives, namely, ethyl (E)-2-cyano-3-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)acrylate (1), C11H11NO2S, and ethyl (E)-2-cyano-3-(thiophen-2-yl)acrylate (2), C10H9NO2S, are reported. Derivative 1 crystallized with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit, and derivative 2 represents a new monoclinic (C2/m) polymorph. The molecular conformations of 1 and the two polymorphs of 2 are very similar, as all non-H atoms are planar except for the methyl of the ethyl groups. The intermolecular interactions and crystal packing of 1 and 2 are described and compared with that of the reported monoclinic (C2/m) polymorph of derivative 2 [Castro Agudelo et al. (2017). Acta Cryst. E73, 1287–1289].

The synthesis of a new series of 6-(chlorothiophenyl)-2-(2-oxopropoxy)pyridine-3-carbonitrile compounds 2 and 5 and their furo[2,3-b]pyridines bearing heteroaryl substituents 3 and 6 in high yield is reported. The 6-(chlorothiophenyl)-2-(2-oxopropoxy)pyridine-3-carbonitrile derivatives (2a-f) and (5a-d) were prepared from the corresponding 3-cyano-(2H)-pyridones (1a-f) and (4a-d) followed by the Thorpe-Ziegler ring cyclization in the presence of sodium methoxide to give the target furo[2,3-b]pyridine derivatives (3a-f) and (6a-d). Proposed structures of the new compounds are based on NMR and mass spectral data. Antibacterial evaluation of (2a-d), (2f), (5a-d), (3a-d), (3f), and (6a-d) derivatives against eight different microorganisms shows no activity towards any of the tested bacteria while compounds (6a ( and (6c ( showed weak antibacterial activity with inhibition zone of 10 mm. Cytotoxic assessment against MCF7 breast cancer cells reveals that 10 of the derivatives were found to decrease cell viability in a dose dependent manner at concentration of 100 μM, but six of them decreased it to less than 50% and had IC50's ranging from 23.3 to 41.2 μM.