Synthesis, characterization and physiochemical information, along with antimicrobial studies of some metal complexes derived from an ON donor semicarbazone ligand.

Eight new transition metal complexes of benzaldehyde-N(4)-phenylsemicarbazone have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, electronic and infrared spectral studies. In all the complexes, the semicarbazone is coordinated as neutral bidentate ligand. (1)H NMR spectrum of [Zn(HL)(2)(OAc)(2)] shows that there is no enolisation of the ligand in the complex. The magnetic susceptibility measurements indicate that Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(III), Co(II) and Cu(II) complexes are paramagnetic and Ni(II) is diamagnetic. The EPR spectrum of [Mn(HL)(2)(OAc)(2)] in DMF solution at 77K shows hyperfine sextet with low intensity forbidden lines lying between each of the two main hyperfine lines. The g values calculated for the [Cu(HL)(2)SO(4)] complex in frozen DMF, indicate the presence of unpaired electron in the d(x)(2) - (y)(2) orbital. The metal ligand bonding parameters evaluated showed strong in-plane sigma bonding and in-plane pi bonding. The ligand and complexes were screened for their possible antimicrobial activities. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.