Metal complexes with thiosemicarbazone derivative and isatine: A promising new class of materials for biomedical and environmental applications

Abstract

Metal complexes with thiosemicarbazones and isatine have been shown to exhibit a wide range of biological activities, including antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activity. These complexes have also been shown to be effective photocatalysts for degrading dyes, making them a subject of significant interest. This article presents the synthesis and characterization of mixed ligand complexes of isatine-thiosemicarbazones to explore their biological activity and potential for photocatalytic applications. In this study, we synthesized mixed ligand complexes of isatine-thiosemicarbazones with various metal ions, including Cu(II), Cd(II), and Fe(III). Characterization techniques such as elemental analysis, infrared (IR), mass spectrometry (MS), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were utilized to understand their structural composition and morphological properties. The complexes exhibited remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutants, and antifungal effects on Candida albicans. Notably, the Fe-complex demonstrated the highest activity, followed by the Cu-complex and Cd-complex. Strong anticancer effects were observed against human liver HepG2 and breast MDA cancer cells, with the Fe-complex displaying the highest activity. Additionally, the complexes displayed significant photocatalytic activity in the decomposition of rose bengal dye using ultraviolet light irradiation, with the Cu-complex showing the highest degradation efficiency. The results indicate that these mixed ligand metal complexes have potential therapeutic applications as antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer agents. Moreover, they suggest their prospective utility as photocatalysts for the remediation of dye-contaminated wastewater.