80SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION, ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME POTENT 2-SUBSTITUTED BENZIMIDAZOLYL CHALCONESA series of benzimidazolyl chalcones were synthesized by condensation reaction of 2-acetyl benzimidazole with different aromatic aldehydes in presence of alkali. The 2-acetyl benzimidazole was synthesized by oxidation of 2-hydroxy ethyl benzimidazole, which was synthesized by cyclisation of orthophenylenediamine with lactic acid. The yield of the synthesized chalcones ranged from 62-91%. The structures of the synthesized chalcones were characterized and confirmed by IR,1HNMR,13C-NMR, mass spectral data and physical analysis. The synthesized analogues were screened for their in vitro antimicrobial activity against standard pathological bacterial strains and fungal strains using disc diffusion and broth microdilution assays. All the chalcones, exhibited a MIC values ranging between 1.6 to 204.8 μg and the MBC/MFC values ranging between 6.4 to >204.8μg for tested bacterial and fungal species. The synthesized chalcones have good activity against the tested fungal species and they have better activity against gram positive bacteria than gram negative bacteria species.selvakumarsiva69@gmail.comResearch322012Benzimidazoles,Chalcones,Benzimidazolyl chalcones, α β unsaturated carbonyl compounds,Antibacterial & antifungalSudeer Babu,S. SelvakumarDepartment of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Sir.C.R.Reddy College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West gothawari (Dist), Eluru, Andrapradesh, India.,Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Sir.C.R.Reddy College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, West gothawari (Dist), Eluru, Andrapradesh, India.