Mixed ligand complexes of cobalt(III) and iron(III) containing N2O2-chelating Schiff base: Synthesis, characterisation, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant and DFT study

•Mixed ligand Schiff base complexes of iron(III) and cobalt(III) were synthesised.•Complexes are non electrolytic in nature.•Metal complexes are more bioactive than the ligands.•DFT calculation were performed to ascertain the stable electronic structure.

Six mixed ligand complexes, namely, [Co(acac)L1] (1), [Fe(acac)L1] (2), [Co(acac)L2] (3), [Fe(acac)L2] (4), [Co(acac)L3] (5), and [Fe(acac)L3] (6) (H2L1 = NN/-bis(salicylidene)-trans 1,2 diaminocyclohexane, H2L2 = NN/-bis(salicylidene)-1,2 phenylenediamine, H2L3 = NN/-bis(salicylidene)-4-methyl-1,2-phenylenediamine) were synthesised and characterized using elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV–Vis spectra, mass spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurements, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis. The molar conductance measurement confirmed the non-electrolytic nature of the complexes in DMF solution. Antioxidant activity of the complexes was studied using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging method. Biological studies of the complexes have been carried out in vitro for antimicrobial activity against some selected gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. DFT calculations were performed using GAUSSIAN 09 program to ascertain the stable electronic structure, HOMO-LUMO energy gap, chemical hardness and dipole moment of the complexes.