Metal-based Schiff base polymers: preparation, spectral, thermal and their in vitro biological investigation

Abstract

New polymer metal(II) complexes have been synthesized using Schiff base ligand, synthesized by the condensation reaction of 2-hydroxyacetophenone and o-phenylenediamine. The ligand and polymer metal(II) complexes have been characterized by micro-analytical, UV–vis, FT-IR, 1H-NMR spectral studies, as well as magnetic susceptibility and thermal studies. On the basis of spectral studies, a square-planar geometry has been proposed for the copper(II) polymer metal complex; manganese(II) polymer metal complex shows octahedral geometry while other polymer metal complexes have shown tetrahedral geometries. The in vitro antimicrobial activity of the compounds is tested against the bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillius subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and the fungi Candida albicans, Microsporum canis, and Aspergillus niger by well diffusion method. The polymer metal complexes show stronger antimicrobial activity than the free ligand and thermal studies were promising after coordination. The polymers represent a novel class of metal-based antimicrobial agents providing large number of opportunities for thermal and antimicrobial applications.