Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Metal Complexes
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The NiII nitrato complex exhibits a band at 3945 cm-1 due to T1g(F)→3T2g(F) transition,
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another at 8446 cm-1 due to T1g(F)→3A2g(F) transition and also at 15107 cm-1 due to T1g
(F)→3T2g(P) transition21, respectively. The charge transfer transition bands occur at 24638 &
32471 cm-1. The calculated ν2/ν1 ratio is 2.14. The μeff. value of nitrato complex is 2.26 B.M.
The number of bands, their energy positions and intensity suggest tetrahedral stereochemistry.
Nitrato and sulphato complexes of CuII exhibit electronic absorption bands at 9204&9425 cm-1
due to B1g→2A1g and B1g→2A2g transitions respectively. The bands at 10388&12968 cm-1
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corresponds to B1g→2B2gtransition. The bands at 11915&15317 cm-1 are due to Eg→2T2g(F)
transitions and those appearing at 24062, 32008&35100 cm-1 are characteristic of charge
transfer transitions22 (ligand→metal). The μeff. value of nitrato complex is 2.26 B.M. and for
sulphato complex is 1.83 B.M. The band positions and multi-component nature of the spectra
suggest a geometry for the sulphato complex and a tetragonally distorted tetrahedral geometry
for the nitrato complex respectively.
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The electronic spectral parameters, Dq, B, β, β0% and ligand field stabilization energy
(LFSE)23, were calculated for CoII & NiII complexes. The order of Dq values among the CoII
complexes are found to be Co(NO3)2.MBA < CoSO4.2MBA. The Dq value for the
octahedral sulphato complex is greater than that of the tetrahedral CoII nitrato complex.
From the β0% value, the covalent character of CoII complexes is established. The percentage
covalency24 is more for the tetrahedral nitrato complex. The β0% values are about 29 and 13
for the nitrato and sulphato complex of CoII respectively, when the free ion value for the
inter electronic repulsion parameter is incorporated.
The X band EPR spectra25 of polycrystalline nitrato and sulphato complexes of CuII is
recorded at LNT (77 K). The g values of the, nitrato and sulphato complexes of CuII are in
the trend, g║ > g┴ > gDPPh suggesting that the unpaired electron lies predominantly in the dx2-
y2 orbital. The nitrato and sulphato complexes of CuII showed EPR spectra of axial symmetry
type indicating planar based distorted octahedral geometry around copper centre. The g║
values of nitrato and sulphato complexes are less than 2.30 indicating the covalent nature.
The higher g║ values may be due to the coordination of H2O to the CuII ion in these
complexes. The axial symmetry parameter26 G value, which is a measure of interaction
between the metal centers in the crystalline solids for the nitrato and sulphato complexes of
CuII, is 7.21 and 7.50. This suggests the lack of change in interaction between two CuII
centres in the unit cell of the complex.
The Cu(II) complex exhibited two quasireversible peaks. A cyclic voltammogram of
Cu(II) displays two reduction peaks, first one at Epc= -0.65 V with an associated oxidation
peak at Epa= -0.5 V and second reduction peak at Epc= -1.58 V with an associated oxidation
peak at Epa = -1.8 V. This corresponds to the Cu(II) / Cu(I) and Cu(I) / Cu(0) respectively at
a scan rate of 0.2 V/s. The value of ΔEp are 1.5 and 2.02 for first and second redox couples
respectively and increase with scan rate giving evidence for quasi-reversible nature
associated with one electron reduction.
Antibacterial Activity
A comparison of diameters of the inhibition zones of the compounds investigated and listed
in Tables 3 and 4 shows that CoII nitrato complex exhibits highest antibacterial and
antifungal activity against all the bacterial and fungal species studied. This is because, they
have larger diameters of inhibition zones than even the control gentamycin at the same
concentration and identical conditions. The complexes have more antibacterial and antifungal
activities than the ligand against all the bacteria and fungi studied. This observation clearly
indicates that the chelation increases the activity. The higher activity of the CoII complex may
be due to the fact that, Co(II) is an essential micronutrient during transcription and