Complexations of 2-thiouracil and 2,4-dithiouracil with Cd(SeCN)2 and Hg(SeCN)2: NMR and anti-bacterial activity studies

Cadmium and mercury selenocyanate complexes of 2-thiouracil (TU) and 2,4-dithiouracil (DTU) ligands have been synthesized to form complexes of the type [M(SeCN)(2)(TU)] and [M(SeCN)(2)(DTU)] (where M is Cd2+ or Hg2+) and studied by various spectroscopic techniques such as IR, H-1 and C-13 NMR in solution and in the solid state for C-13, N-15, and Cd-113 nuclei. Based on IR, and solution and solid-state C-13 NMR data, stronger cadmium bonding to the thiouracil was observed compared to that of mercury. Anti-bacterial activities of these complexes have been investigated with standard type culture of Escherichia coli (MTCC 443), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688), Salmonella typhi (MTCC 733) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 737) and show that ligands exhibit more anti-bacterial activities than that of the corresponding Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes.