Synthesis, characterization, electrochemistry and evaluation of biological activities of some ferrocenyl Schiff bases

Abstract

Abstract Synthesis of ferrocenyl Schiff bases ( 1–6 ) was carried out by the condensation reaction of 4‐ferrocenyl aniline with different substituted aromatic aldehydes and acetyl acetone. Compounds were characterized by physical measurements, elemental analysis, FT‐IR, 1 H‐NMR and 13 C‐NMR spectroscopy. Single crystal X‐ray analysis of compound 2 showed the co‐planarity of both aromatic rings connected by a C–N double bond. Compounds demonstrated reversible one‐electron redox behavior and their peak currents were found to increase linearly with the square root of the sweep rate ν 1/2 . The overall electrode processes were found to be diffusion controlled. Compounds 1 and 4 showed low cytotoxicity and appreciable antifungal, antioxidant and DNA protection activities. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.