Synthesis,characterization and biocidal studies of ruthenium(II) carbonyl complexes containing tetradentate Schiff bases

Stable ruthenium(II) complexes of Schiff bases have been prepared by reacting [RuHCl(CO)(PPh₃)₂(B)] (B = PPh₃, pyridine or piperidine) with bis(o-vanillin)ethylenediimine (valen), bis(o-vanillin)propylene-diimine (valpn), bis(o-vanillin)tetramethylenediimine (valtn), bis(o-vanillin)o-phenylenediimine (valphn), bis(salicylaldehyde)tetramethylenediimine (saltn) and bis(salicylaldehyde)o-phenylenediimine (salphn). These complexes have been characterised by elemental analyses, i.r., electronic, ¹H- and ³¹P{¹H}-n.m.r. spectral studies. In all the above reactions, the Schiff bases replace two molecules of Ph₃P, a hydride and a halide ion from the starting complexes, indicating that the Ru–N bonds present in the complexes containing heterocyclic nitrogen bases are stronger than the Ru–P bond to Ph₃P. The new complexes of the general formula [Ru(CO)(B)(L)] (B = PPh₃, py or pip; L = tetradentate Schiff bases) have been assigned an octahedral structure. Some of the Schiff bases and the new complexes have been tested against the pathogenic fungus Fusarium sp.