Synthesis, spectral, catalytic and antimicrobial studies of PPh3/AsPh3 complexes of Ru(II) with dibasic tridentate O, N, S donor ligands

Complexes of the type [Ru(CO)(EPh3)(B)(L)] (E = P or As; B = PPh3, AsPh3, py or pip; L = dianion of the Schiff bases derived from thiosemicarbazone with acetoacetanilide, acetoacet-o-toluidide and o-chloro acetoacetanilide) have been synthesized from the reactions of equimolar amounts of [RuHCl(CO)(EPh3)2(B)] and Schiff bases in benzene. The new complexes have been characterized by analytical and spectral (IR, electronic, NMR) data. The arrangement of PPh3 groups around ruthenium metal was determined from 31P NMR spectra. An octahedral structure has been assigned for all the new complexes. All the complexes exhibited catalytic activity for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol in presence of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as co-oxidant. The complexes also exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli, Aeromonas hydrophilla and Salmonella typhi. The activity was compared with standard streptomycin.