Copper(II) complexes of 1,3-dimethyl-(5-(8′-quinolinylazo)-6-aminouracil: Structures, magnetism and biological activity

Abstract

Two Cu(II)-complexes were synthesized using 1,3-dimethyl-5-(8′-quinolinylazo)-6-aminouracil (H2L) ligand in combination with thiocyanide (SCN−) and azide (N3−) pseudohalides as co-ligands. The thiocyanide (SCN−) co-ligand guided to form monomeric aquo-isothiocyanato-Cu(II) complex, [CuII(HL)(NCS)(H2O)] (1) of H2L. Under similar reaction condition, the azide (N3−) co-ligand led to form polymeric azido-Cu(II) complex, [CuII(L′)(N3)]n, (2) of HL′, where HL′ was an in-situ generated new ligand, 1,3-dimethyl-(5-(8′-quinolinylazo)-6-hydroxouracil (HL′) from H2L. Both are tridentate ligands with different uracil-donor sites (H2L: NqNaNu, HL′: NqNaOu). The complexes are monoclinic with space groups C2/c (Z = 8) and P21/n (Z = 4) for 1 and 2, respectively. They possess slightly distorted square-pyramidal coordination around CuII ions with elongation at the axial sites (Cu1-O3 (water) bond is 2.2698(13)Å for 1 and Cu1-Oμ-uracil bond is 2.5525(13)Å for 2). The polymeric nature of 2 is availed through one of the exocyclic-C = O groups of HL′, making Cu…Cu spacing to 7.9973(3)Å. Direct current (dc) variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements on polycrystalline samples of 1 and 2 were carried out in the temperature range 1.8-300 K. The 1 is devoid of any significant interaction between the mononuclear units. Magnetic properties show weak ferromagnetic exchange coupling within the chain (J = 0.61 cm−1) in 2. The TD-DFT study reveals that ILCT, LMCT and d-d types of electronic transitions are involved in both the complexes. The evaluated biological efficacy of the compounds against plant pathogens it is revealed that the complex 1 has an antibacterial and complex 2 has antifungal properties.