Three new mono–di–trinuclear cobalt complexes of selectively and non-selectively condensed Schiff bases with N2O and N2O2 donor sets: Syntheses, structural variations, EPR and DNA binding studies

Three new mono–di–trinuclear cobalt complexes of three different Schiff bases have been synthesised. In all the three complexes psuedohalides (NCO− and N3−) have been incorporated to generate structural variation. Of the three Schiff bases, HL1 and HL2 were obtained by selective condensation of two different 1,3-diamines with 2-hydroxyacetophenone and H2L3 resulted from non-selective condensation of 1,3-diamine with 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Only one –NH2 functionality of 1,3-diaminopropane and 1,3-diaminopentane was selectively condensed with 2-hydroxyacetophenone to generate Schiff bases HL1 and HL2, respectively. H2L3 was obtained by condensing both the amine functionality of 1,3-diaminopropane with 2-hydroxyacetophenone. Therefore HL1 and HL2 behave as a N2O donors, whereas H2L3 provides a N2O2 donor coordination environment for the cobalt ions in the respective complexes. In [Co(L1)2]2 [Co(NCO)4] (1) the asymmetric unit comprises of five mononuclear cobalt centers, [Co2(μ–N3)2(L2)2(N3)2] (2) is a dinuclear and [(H2O)2Co(μ–N3)2(μ–L3)2Co2(N3)1.25(CH3O)0.75] · H2O (3) is a trinuclear cobalt species. The three complexes have been characterised using IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Structural aspects of 1, 2 and 3 have been described by performing single crystal X-ray analysis. EPR analyses of 1 and 3, and DNA binding abilities of all three cobalt complexes have been studied in detail.

Graphical abstractThree new mono–di–trinuclear cobalt complexes of three different Schiff bases have been synthesised. Of the three Schiff bases, HL1 and HL2 were obtained by selective condensation of two different 1,3-diamines with 2-hydroxyacetophenone and H2L3 resulted from the non-selective condensation of 1,3-diamine with 2-hydroxyacetophenone. The three complexes have been characterised using IR, UV–Vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Structural aspects of the cobalt complexes have been described by performing single crystal X-ray analysis. EPR analysis and DNA binding abilities of the complexes have also been studied in detail.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide