Synthesis,potentiometric and antimicrobial activity studies on 2-pyridinilidene-DL-amino acids and their complexes

To investigate the relationship between antimicrobial activities and the formation constants of Cu^II, Ni^II and Co^II complexes with three Schiff bases, which were obtained by the condensation of 2-pyridinecarboxyaldehyde with DL-alanine, DL-valine and DL-phenylalanine, have been synthesized. Schiff bases and the complexes have been characterized on the basis of elemental analyses, magnetic moments (at ca. 25 °C), molar conductivity, thermal analyses and spectral (i.r., u.v., n.m.r.) studies. The i.r. spectra show that the ligands act in a monovalent bidentate fashion, depending on the metal salt used and the reaction pH = 9, 8 and 7 medium, for Cu^II, Ni^II and Co^II, respectively. Square-planar, tetrahedral and octahedral structures are proposed for Cu^II, Ni^II and Co^II, respectively. The protonation constants of the Schiff bases and stability constants of their ML-type complexes have been calculated potentiometrically in aqueous solution at 25 ± 0.1 °C and at 0.1 M KCl ionic strength. Antimicrobial activities of the Schiff bases and the complexes were evaluated for three bacteria (Bacillus subtillis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli) and a yeast (Candida albicans). The structure–activity correlation in Schiff bases and their metal(II) complexes are discussed, based on the effect of their stability contants.