Versatile coordination behaviors of a tetrapodal Schiff base ligand scaffold: formation of the dinuclear and trinuclear complexes and their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

Four new complexes have been prepared and characterized from reaction of the tetrapodal Schiff base ligand 1,1,1,1-tetrakis[(3-methoxysalicylaldimino)methyl]methane (H₄L) with Cu(II), Ni(II) and Cd(II). X-ray diffraction experiments revealed that 1 ([Cu₂L·2H₂O]·H₂O) and 2 ([Cu₂L·2CH₃OH]·3H₂O) are dinuclear complexes, with the same tetragonal pyramidal coordination geometries around their Cu(II) ions. Complex 3 ([Ni₂L]·2H₂O) is dinuclear with two square planar Ni(II) ions coordinated to two pairs of the pendant branches of H₄L. Complex 4 ([Cd₃(HL)₂]·3H₂O) is a linear trinuclear species with three Cd(II) ions, which were intermolecularly coordinated to three pendant branches of two H₄L ligands via an uncommon intermolecular phenoxo oxygen face-sharing mode. The in vitro antimicrobial activities of H₄L and its complexes were evaluated against four micro-organisms (Colibacillus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus subtilis) using the tube-dilution method. The results revealed that 3 showed good inhibitory activity against the Gram-positive bacteria S. aureus and B. subtilis with MIC values of 62.5 and 31.0 μg mL, respectively.

Keywords:

• Schiff base
• complex
• coordination behavior
• antimicrobial activity

Funding

This work was supported for financial support from the Teaching Reform and Research Project of the Guizhou University, China [grant number JG 2013014]; The Foundation of Guizhou Province, China [grant number [2014] 7619].

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.