Palladium(II) and zinc(II) complexes of neutral [N2O2] donor Schiff bases derived from furfuraldehyde: Synthesis, characterization, fluorescence and corrosion inhibitors of ligands

•The complexes are characterized by different spectroscopic techniques.•The Schiff base ligands exhibited efficient corrosion inhibitors.•Zn(II) complexes may have potential uses as a Zn2+ sensor.•The ligands and Zn(II) complexes exhibited strong fluorescence.

Metal complexes of Schiff bases derived from furfuraldehyde and 4,5-dimethyl-1,2-phenylendiamine (L1) or 4,5-dichloro-1,2-phenylendiamine (L2) have been reported and characterized based on elemental analyses, IR, 1H NMR, UV–Vis, magnetic moment, molar conductance and thermal analysis. The complexes are found to have the formulae [PdL1–2]Cl2 and [ZnL1–2](AcO)2·H2O. The molar conductance data reveal that Pd(II) and Zn(II) chelates are ionic in nature and are of the type 2:1 electrolytes. The spectral data are consistent with a square planar and tetrahedral geometry around Pd(II) and Zn(II), respectively, in which the ligands act as tetradentate ligands. The thermal behavior of some chelates is studied and the activation thermodynamic parameters are calculated using Coats–Redfern method. The corrosion inhibition of stainless steel types 410 and 304 in 1 M HCl using the synthesized Schiff bases as inhibitors have been studied by weight loss method. The obtained data considered these ligands as efficient corrosion inhibitors. The ligands and their metal complexes exhibited considerable antibacterial activity against Staphylococcusaureus, and Escherichiacoli and antifungal activity against Candida albicans.

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