Quinoxaline based bio-active mixed ligand transition metal complexes: Synthesis, characterization, electrochemical, antimicrobial, DNA binding, cleavage, antioxidant and molecular docking studies

•Bio-active mixed ligand transition metal complexes.•IR, UV–Vis., 1H NMR, mass, ESR, CV, PXRD, SEM studies.•Complexes show significant antimicrobial activity.•Complexes have both DNA binding and cleaving activities.•Molecular docking supports the bioactivity of the mixed ligand metal complexes.

Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) mixed ligand complexes have been synthesized from N2, N3-bis(4-nitrophenyl)quinoxaline-2,3-diamine and 1,10-phenanthroline. The compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility, IR, UV–Vis., 1H NMR, mass and ESR spectra. Octahedral geometry has been assigned for Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) complexes and distorted octahedral geometry for Cu(II) complex. Electrochemical behavior of the synthesized complexes was studied using cyclic voltammetry. Grain size and surface morphologies of the complexes were determined by powder XRD and SEM analyses. The mixed ligand metal complexes were screened for antimicrobial activity against bacterial species Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus; fungal species Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans by disc diffusion method. The DNA binding and DNA cleavage activities of the compounds were determined using electronic absorption titration and agarose gel electrophoresis respectively. The superoxide radical scavenging and free radical scavenging activities of the Cu(II) complex was also evaluated. Molecular docking studies of the synthesized mixed ligand metal complexes were carried out against B-DNA dodecamer and the protein Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (pf DHFR).

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