Synthesis, spectral, catalytic and antimicrobial studies of PPh3/AsPh3 complexes of Ru(II) with dibasic tridentate O, N, S donor ligands

Complexes of the type [Ru(CC)(EPh3)(B)(L)] (E = P or As; B = PPh3, ASPh(3), py or pip; L = dianion of the Schiff bases derived from thiosemicarbazone with acetoacetanilide, acetoacet-o-toluidide and o-chloro acetoacetanilide) have been synthesized from the reactions of equimolar amounts of [RuHCI(CO)(EPh3)(2)(B)] and Schiff bases in benzene. The new complexes have been characterized by analytical and spectral (IR, electronic, NMR) data. The arrangement of PPh3 groups around ruthenium metal was determined from P-31 NMR spectra. An octahedral structure has been assigned for all the new complexes. All the complexes exhibited catalytic activity for the oxidation of benzyl alcohol and cyclohexanol in presence of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as co-oxidant. The complexes also exhibited antibacterial activity against E. coli, Aeromonas hydrophilla and Salmonella typhi. The activity was compared with standard streptomycin. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.