Cd(II) and Zn(II) complexes of two new hexadentate Schiff base ligands derived from different aldehydes and ethanol amine; X-ray crystal structure, IR and NMR spectroscopy studies

• Two new N2O4 macroacyclic Schiff base ligands were synthesized.
• Synthesis of four new cadmium and zinc macroacyclic Schiff base complexes.
• X-ray crystal structure determination of a new cadmium complex.

Four new [Cd(H2L1)(NO3)]ClO4 (1), [Zn(H2L1)](ClO4)2 (2), [Cd(H2L2)(NO3)]ClO4 (3), and [Zn(H2L2)](ClO4)2 (4), complexes were prepared by the reaction of two new Schiff base ligands and Cd(II) and Zn(II) metal ions in equimolar ratios. The ligands H2L1 and H2L2 were synthesized by reaction of 2-[2-(2-formyl phenoxy)ethoxy]benzaldehyde and/or 2-[2-(3-formyl phenoxy)propoxy]benzaldehyde and ethanol amine and characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy. All complexes were characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR, COSY, and elemental analysis. Also, the complex 1 was characterized by X-ray in addition to the above methods. The X-ray crystal structure of compound 1 showed that all nitrogen and oxygen atoms of ligand (N2O4) and a molecule of nitrate with two donor oxygen atom have been coordinated to the metal ion and the Cd(II) ion is in an eight-coordinate environment that is best described as a distorted dodecahedron geometry.