Novel 13,14‐dimethyl‐5,8‐dioxa‐2,11,13,14‐tetraaza‐1,12‐diphosphabicyclo [10.1.1] tetradecane 1,12‐dioxide ligand and its Ni(II), Co(II), and Cu(II) complexes: Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial, DNA cleavage, and computational studies

Abstract

A novel diazadiphosphetidine ligand derived from the reaction of 2,4‐dichloro‐1,3‐dimethyl‐1,3,2,4‐diazadiphosphetidine‐2,4‐dioxide and 2,2′‐(ethane‐1,2‐diylbis[oxy])bis(ethan‐1‐amine) and its Ni(II), Cu(II), and Co(II) complexes have been synthesized, characterized by spectroscopic, elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility, and conductivity methods, and screened for antimicrobial, DNA binding, and cleavage properties. Spectroscopic analysis and elemental analyses indicate the formula [M(H2L)Cl2] for the Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes and octahedral geometry for all the complexes. The non‐electrolytic nature of the complexes in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was confirmed by their molar conductance values, which are in the range 12.32–6.73 Ω−1 cm2 mol−1. Computational studies have been carried out at the density functional theory (DFT)‐B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level of theory on the structural and spectroscopic properties of diazadiphosphetidine H2L and its binuclear Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes. Six tautomers and geometrical isomers of the diazadiphosphetidine ligand were confirmed using semiempirical AM1 and DFT method from DMOL3 calculations. The copper complex had the best antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 29213). DNA cleavage activities of the compounds, evaluated on pBR322 DNA by agarose gel electrophoresis in the presence and absence of an oxidant (H2O2) and a free‐radical scavenger (DMSO), indicated no activity for the ligand and moderate activity for the complexes, with the copper complex cleaving pBR322 DNA more efficiently in the presence of H2O2.