Some metal complexes of three new potentially heptadentate (N4O3) tripodal Schiff base ligands; synthesis, characterizatin and X-ray crystal structure of a novel eight coordinate Gd(III) complex

•Synthesis of some new Schiff base ligands.•X-ray crystal structure of a new Gd(III) complex.•Studying of spectroscopy properties of prepared complexes.

The symmetrical and asymmetrical potentially heptadentate (N4O3) tripodal Schiff base ligands (H3L1−H3L3) were synthesized from the condensation reaction of three tripodal tetraamine ligands tpt (trpn), tris (3-aminopropyl) amine; ppe (abap), (2-aminoethyl)bis(3-aminopropyl)amine, and tren, tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, with 5-methoxysalicylaldehyde. Then, the reaction of Ln(III) (Ln = Gd, La and Sm), Al(III), and Fe(III) metal ions with the above ligands was investigated. The resulting compounds were characterized by IR, mass spectrometry and elemental analysis in all cases and NMR spectroscopy in the case of the Schiff base ligands. The X-ray crystal structure of the Gd complex of H3L3 ligand showed that in addition to all donor atoms of the ligand one molecule of H2O is also coordinated to the metal ion and a neutral eight-coordinate complex is formed.