Synthesis, characterization, and biological activities of ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes containing bifunctional tridentate Schiff bases

Ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes have been synthesised by reacting [RuH2(CO)(PPh3)(3)] or [RuHCl(CO)(PPh3)(2)(Z)] (Z = PPh3, pyridine (py) or piperidine (pip)) with tridentate Schiff base ligands derived by condensing salicylaldehyde, o-vanillin or o-hydroxyacetophenone with N(4)-phenylsemi-carbazide. These complexes have been characterised by analytical, IR, electronic, H-1 NMR and P-31 NMR spectral studies. The complexes of the general formula [Ru(L) (CO)(PPh3)(Z)] (L = Schiff base anion; Z = PPh3, py or pip) tentatively have been assigned an octahedral structure. Some of the complexes have been tested for in vitro growth inhibitory activity against the bacteria Escherichia coli, Bacillus sp. and Pseudomonas sp.