Thermal behavior of tetradentate Schiff base chromium(III) complexes

Thermal analytical behavior of eight chromium(III) complexes with N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen) Schiff bases, Cr(salen), has been investigated regarding their thermal stability and thermal decomposition pathways. Thus, the ligands and the respective chromium(III) complexes of salen-type Schiff bases derived from salicylaldehyde and its 5-chloro, 5-bromo, 5-methoxy, 5-nitro, 3,5-dicloro, 3,5-dibromo, and 3,5-diiodosalicylaldehyde were synthesized, characterized, and submitted to TG/DTG, DTA, and TG-FTIR evolved gas analysis. The number of steps and, in particular, the starting temperature of decomposition of these complexes was dependent of the ligand nature. The gaseous products evolved during the thermal decomposition of these compounds were identified by TG-FTIR.