Abstract:
This research work presents one pot synthesis of ternary copper(II) carboxylates of N,Nchelating
diamine ligands. The carboxylate ligands used were sodium salts of benzoic acid,
2-chlorobenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, succinic acid, phthalic acid, terephthal ic acid, 4-
aminobenzoic acid, 3-aminobenzoic acid, mefenamic acid, acetyl salicylic acid, and tartaric
acid. The N,N-chelating diamines utilized include N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine
(tmen), while some complexes of carboxylates with ethylenediamine (en), 1,10–
phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2′–bipyridine (bipy) have also been prepared. The structural
aspects and geometrical assignments related to the synthesized complexes have been
investigated with the help of analytical techniques like FT-IR, UV-Visible spectroscopy,
thermal studies (TGA) and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The investigated ternary
copper(II) complexes involving N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (tmen) include
[Cu(tmen)(BA)2(H2O)2], (1a), [Cu(tmen)(salH)2(H2O)] (2a), {[Cu(tmen)(mef)2] (3a),
[Cu(tmen)(pABA)2]. 1/2 MeOH) (4a), [Cu(tmen)(o-ClBA)2] (5a), [Cu(tmen)(cinn)2]. H2O
(6a), [Cu(tmen)(phtH)2] (7a), [Cu(tmen)(tpht)(H2O)2]n (8a), {[Cu(tmen)(succin)]n.4H2O}
(9a), {[Cu(tmen)(tart)]·2H2O}n (10a). Single crystal analyses of the prepared complexes have
revealed that most of the Cu(II)-N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine adducts with the
carboxylate ligands are mononuclear, in which N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine is
coordinated to Cu(II) in an invariably chelating bidentate mode. In these complexes, the
carboxylate moiety belonging to a carboxylate ligand is coordinated to the central Cu(II) ion,
either in a monodentate (1a, 2a, 4a, 7a), or bidentate (3a, 5a, 6a) fashion. These
mononuclear complexes can be; four-coordinate (4a), with a square planar environment,
five-coordinate (2a, 7a),with a square pyramidal geometry, or six-coordinate (1a, 3a, 5a, 6a )
with an octahedral coordination geometry. Three complexes of Cu-tmen-carboxylato series
are polynuclear in nature (8a, 9a, 10a) and adopt an octahedral coordination environment.
The carboxylate functionality varies in coordination modes, from bis-monodentate bridging
(8a) to chelating bridging (9a-10a).
Another mixed ligand copper(II) complex incorporating ethylenediamine and salicylate
[Cu(en)(salH)Cl]n (where en= ethylenediamine, salH1- = (salicylate1-) (11a) has also been
synthesized. The complex [Cu(en)(salH)Cl]n (11a) is found to be unprecedented because of
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the presence of [Cu-Cl]n back-bone formed by central Cu(II) ion and bridging Cl atoms, also
it had both ethylenediamine and salicylic acid as a part of the inner coordination sphere,
while in most of the known examples, carboxylates usually are found lying uncoordinated in
the outer sphere.
Two ternary copper(II) carboxylate complexes, containing 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy = C10H8N2)
having the formulae [Cu(bipy)(cinn)2(H2O)] (1b) [Cu2(bipy)2(pABA)3(pABAH)]. Cl. 3H2O
(2b) {(where cinn1- = cinnamate (C9H7O2
1-) anion, pABA1- = p-amino benzoate (C7H6NO2
1-)
anion, and pABAH = p-amino benzoic acid (C7H7NO2)} have been prepared and
characterized. The mononuclear ternary Cu(II) complex incorporating 2,2′–bipyridine and
cinnamate as shown by single crystal X-ray analyses is found to be square pyramidal, formed
by the coordination of bidentate 2,2′–bipyridine, and two monodentate carboxylate groups
from two cinnamates, while the apical position is occupied by an aqua-O atom. The second
dinuclear mixed ligand Cu(II) complex of 2,2′–bipyridine and p-aminobenzoate (1b) is also
found to be unique. It has two copper(II) centers in square pyramidal environments, which
are interlinked by two bridging p-aminobenzoates and by two 2,2′–bipyridine ligands in a
chelating mode. One remaining p-aminobenzoate is attached through its carboxylato-O atom
in a traditional monodentate mode, while the other pABAH is attached to copper(II) through
its N atom.
Two novel mixed ligand copper(II)-phen based carboxylate complexes represented as
[Cu(phen)(benzoate)2] 1c, and [Cu(phen)(m-amb)Cl·½H2O] 2c (where phen = 1,10-
phenanthroline, BA1- = benzoate, m-ABA1- = m-aminobenzoate) have been synthesized and
characterized. The geometry and structure of the mononuclear ternary Cu(II) complex
incorporating 1,10–phenanthroline and m-aminobenzoate, as confirmed through single
crystal X-ray analyses is found to be square pyramidal, formed by the coordination of
chelating 1,10–phenanthroline, a chelating m-aminobenzoate, while the apical position is
occupied by a Cl atom. The second monomeric complex [Cu(phen)(benzoate)2] was square
planar, with one bidentate phen and two monodentate benzoates.
Antimicrobial studies of complexes have also been performed. Some of these copper(II)
complexes are found to be biologically active against bacteria.