Synthesis, structural, thermal studies and biological activity of a tridentate Schiff base ligand and their transition metal complexes

Schiff base (L) ligand is prepared via condensation of pyridine-2,6-dicarboxaldehyde with -2-aminopyridine. The ligand and its metal complexes are characterized based on elemental analysis, mass, IR, solid reflectance, magnetic moment, molar conductance, and thermal analyses (TG, DTG and DTA). The molar conductance reveals that all the metal chelates are non-electrolytes. IR spectra shows that L ligand behaves as neutral tridentate ligand and bind to the metal ions via the two azomethine N and pyridine N. From the magnetic and solid reflectance spectra, it is found that the geometrical structures of these complexes are octahedral (Cr(III), Fe(III), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Th(IV)) and tetrahedral (Mn(II), Cd(II), Zn(II), and UO2(II)). The thermal behaviour of these chelates shows that the hydrated complexes losses water molecules of hydration in the first step followed immediately by decomposition of the anions and ligand molecules in the subsequent steps. The activation thermodynamic parameters, such as, E*, ΔH*, ΔS* and ΔG* are calculated from the DTG curves using Coats–Redfern method. The synthesized ligand, in comparison to their metal complexes also was screened for its antibacterial activity against bacterial species, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus pyogones and Fungi (Candida). The activity data shows that the metal complexes to be more potent/antibacterial than the parent Schiff base ligand against one or more bacterial species.