<b>Synthesis, stereochemistry and antimicrobial activity of copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of 4-phenylsemicarbazones</b>

Abstract

2-Acetylpyridine-(4-phenylsemicarbazone) and o-vanillin-(4-phenylsemicarbazone) have been prepared and characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, infrared, electronic, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. Several nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes have been obtained from these ligands. The IR spectra of the ligands as well as those of their complexes suggest that 2-acetylpyridine-(4-phenylsemicarbazone) is a neutral tridentate molecule while o-vanillin-(4-phenylsemicarbazone) is a monobasic tridentate molecule. On the basis of the analytical data, magnetic moments and spectral data, a square-planar geometry has been proposed for the nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes with these ligands. Some representative complexes of copper(II) and nickel(II) were found to have remarkable antifungal and antibacterial activity.KEY WORDS: 4-Phenylsemicarbazone, Metal complexes, Stereochemistry, Antimicrobial activity Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2011, 25(3), 361-370.