Binuclear cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and palladium(II) complexes of a new Schiff-base as ligand: synthesis, structural characterization, and antibacterial activity.

A binucleating new Schiff-base ligand with a phenylene spacer, afforded by the condensation of glycyl-glycine and o-phthalaldehyde has been served as an octadentate N₄O₄ ligand in designing some binuclear complexes of cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II), and palladium(II). The binding manner of the ligand to the metal and the composition and geometry of the metal complexes were examined by elemental analysis, conductivity measurements, magnetic moments, IR, ¹H, ¹³C NMR, ESR and electronic spectroscopies, and TGA measurements. There are two different coordination/chelation environments present around two metal centers of each binuclear complex. The composition of the complexes in the coordination sphere was found to be [M₂(L)(H(2)O)₄] (where M=Co(II) and Ni(II)) and [M₂(L)] (where M=Cu(II) and Pd(II)). In the case of Cu(II) complexes, ESR spectra provided further information to confirm the binuclear structure and the presence of magnetic interactions. All the above metal complexes have shown moderate to good antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.