A series of transition and non-transition metal complexes from a N 4O 2 hexadentate Schiff base ligand: Synthesis, spectroscopic characterization and efficient antimicrobial activities

Abstract

Some transition and non-transition metal complexes of the hexadentate N 4O 2 donor Schiff base ligand 1,8- N-bis(3-carboxy)disalicylidene-3,6-diazaoctane-1,8-diamine, abbreviated to H 4fsatrien, have been synthesized. All the 14 metal complexes have been fully characterized with the help of elemental analyses, molecular weights, molar conductance values, magnetic moments and spectroscopic (UV–Vis, IR, NMR, ESR) data. The analytical data helped to elucidate the structures of the metal complexes. The Schiff base, H 4fsatrien, is found to act as a dibasic hexadentate ligand using N 2N 2O 2 donor set of atoms (leaving the COOH group uncoordinated) leading to an octahedral geometry for the complexes around all the metal ions except VO 2+ and UO 2 2+. However, surprisingly the same ligand functions as a neutral hexadentate and neutral tetradentate one towards UO 2 2+ and VO 2+, respectively. In case of divalent metal complexes they have the general formula [M(H 2fsatrien)] (where M stands for Cu, Co, Hg and Zn); for trivalent metal complexes it is [M(H 2fsatrien)]X· nH 2O (where M stands for Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and X stands for CH 3COO, Cl, NO 3, ClO 4) and for the complexes of VO 2+ and UO 2 2+, [M(H 4fsatrien)]Y (where M = VO and Y = SO 4; M = UO 2 and Y = 2 NO 3). The Schiff base ligand and most of the complexes have been screened in vitro to judge their antibacterial ( Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) and antifungal ( Aspergillus niger and Pencillium chrysogenum) activities.