Relationships between structure, retention and biological activity of some Schiff base ligands and their complexes

The lipophilicity of a series of Schiff base ligands and their complexes with nickel(II) and copper(II) has been determined by reversed-phase thin-layer chromatography using binary dioxane-water mobile phase. Chelate ligands were prepared by condensation of diamine and the corresponding beta-diketone. Copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes with chelate ligands containing ethane-1,2-diamine or propane-1,2-diamine as the amine part and pentane-2,4-dione and/or 1-phenylbutane-1,3-dione, pentane-2,4-dione and/or 1,1,1-trifluoropentane-2,4-dione, or 1,1,1-trifluoropentane-2,4-dione and/or 1-phenylbutane-1,3-dione as the beta-diketone part were synthesized. Some of investigated compounds were screened for their in vitro antifungal activity against Sacharomyces cerevisiae and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. Chromatographically obtained lipophilicity parameters were correlated both with calculated n-octanol-water partition coefficient C log P and antimicrobial activities. Satisfactory correlations were obtained. Chromatographic data proved to be reliable parameters for describing the lipophilic properties of the investigated compounds. Additionally, the principal components analysis was performed on the data chromatographically obtained. This statistical method was useful for distinguishing compounds and objective comparison of their lipophilicity parameters.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antioxidant activity of heterocyclic Schiff bases

Schiff base derivatives have gained great importance due to revealing a great number of biological properties. Schiff bases were synthesized by treatment of 4-amino-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one ( 1 ) with various aldehydes in methanol at reflux. In addition, diamine was reacted with an aldehyde to yield the corresponding Schiff bases. The structures of synthesized Schiff bases were elucidated by spectroscopic methods such as microanalysis, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR, and FTIR. Antioxidant activities of synthesized Schiff bases were carried out using different antioxidant assays such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl free radical (DPPH^•) scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, and reducing power activity. (E)-4-((1H-indol-3-yl)methyleneamino)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one ( 3 ), (E)-1,5-dimethyl-4-((2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methyleneamino)-2-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one ( 5 ), (E)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-4-(thiophen-2-ylmethyleneamino)-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one ( 7 ), (E)-1,5-dimethyl-2-phenyl-4-(quinolin-2-ylmethyleneamino)-1H-pyrazol-3(2H)-one ( 9 ), (1S,2S,N1,N2)-N1,N2-bis((1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)cyclohexane-1,2-diamine ( 11 ), and (1S,2S,N1,N2)-N1,N2-bis((2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)methylene)cyclohexane-1,2-diamine ( 12 ) were synthesized in high yields. Compound 5 displayed a good ABTS^•+ activity. Compound 3 revealed the outstanding activity in all assays. Compound 7 has the best-reducing power ability in comparison to other synthesized compounds. Although compounds 5, 11, 12 are new, compounds 3, 7, 9 are known. Due to revealing a good antioxidant activity, the synthesized compounds ( 3, 5, 7 ) have the potential to be used as synthetic antioxidant agents.     

Synthesis and antioxidant activities of Schiff bases and their complexes: a review

Schiff bases, named after Hugo Schiff , are aldehyde‐ or ketone‐like compounds in which the carbonyl group is replaced by imine or azomethine group. They are widely used for industrial purposes and also have a broad range of applications as antioxidants. An overview of antioxidant applications of Schiff bases and their complexes is discussed in this review. A brief history of the synthesis and reactivity of Schiff bases and their complexes is presented. Factors of antioxidants are illustrated and discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectral,thermal, electrochemical,biological and DFT studies on nanocrystalline Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes with a tridentate ONO donor Schiff base ligand

Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) Schiff base complexes derived from 3-hydrazinoquionoxaline-2-one and 1,2-diphenylethane-1,2-dione were synthesized. The compounds were characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductance, magnetic susceptibility measurements, FTIR, UV–vis, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ESR, and mass spectral studies. Thermal studies of the ligand and its metal complexes were also carried out to determine their thermal stability. Octahedral geometry has been assigned for Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes, while Cu(II) complex has distorted octahedral geometry. Powder XRD study was carried out to determine the grain size of ligand and its metal complexes. The electrochemical behavior of the synthesized compounds was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. For all complexes, a 2 : 1 ligand-to-metal ratio is observed. The ligand and its metal complexes were screened for their activity against bacterial species such as E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and S. aureus and fungal species such as A. niger, C. albicans, and A. flavus by disk diffusion method. The DNA-binding of the ligand and its metal complexes were investigated by electronic absorption titration and viscosity measurement studies. Agarose gel electrophoresis was employed to determine the DNA-cleavage activity of the synthesized compounds. Density functional theory was used to optimize the structure of the ligand and its Zn(II) complex.     

Coordination chemistry of palladium(II) and platinum(II) complexes with bioactive Schiff bases: Synthetic,spectral, and biocidal aspects

The Schiff bases, 5-nitro-indol-2,3-dionehydrazinecarboxamide (HSCZ¹) and 7-nitro-indol-2,3- dionehydrazinecarboxamide (HSCZ²), have been synthesized by the condensation of 5-nitro-indol-2,3-dione and 7-nitro-1H-indol-2,3-dione with semicarbazide hydrochloride, respectively. The palladium(II) and platinum( II) complexes have been prepared by mixing palladium chloride and platinum chloride in 1: 2 molar ratios with monobasic bidentate Schiff bases. The ligands and complexes of palladium and platinum have been characterized by elemental analyses, melting point determinations, conductance measurements, molecular weight determinations, and IR, ¹H NMR, and UV spectral studies. These studies showed that the ligands coordinate to the metal atoms in a monobasic bidentate mode, coordinating through oxygen and nitrogen donor systems. Thus, a tetracoordinated environment around the metal atom has been proposed. Both the ligands and their complexes have been screened for their biological activity on several pathogenic fungi and bacteria and were found to possess appreciable fungicidal and bactericidal properties. Plant growth regulating activity of one of the ligands and its complexes has also been recorded on gram plant, and results have been discussed. The article is published in the original.     

Mechanism of electrooxidation of palladium complexes with the Schiff bases

Processes of electrooxidation of complex palladium compounds with the Schiff bases containing various substituents are considered on the basis of spectroscopic and electrochemical data. The processes lead to the formation of electroconducting polymer complexes at the electrode surface. A general mechanism, proposed for the electrooxidation of these compounds, accounts for the effect of the metallic center, ligand, and solvent nature. The satisfactory agreement between spectroscopic and electrochemical studies and a computer-aided modeling testifies that the conclusions are reliable. The results may be useful for controlled syntheses of new conducting polymer compounds and their application in catalytic and optoelectronic systems.     

Organotin (IV) complexes derived from tridentate Schiff base ligands: Synthesis,spectroscopic analysis,antimicrobial and antioxidant activity

Organotin complexes of Schiff bases (derived from the condensation of hydrazides with salicylaldehyde derivatives) were prepared and their characterization was done using several spectroscopic techniques like FTIR, NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹¹⁹Sn) and mass spectrometry. The spectroscopic data of the ligands and their corresponding complexes revealed that the Schiff bases chelated to the tin metal in a tridentate manner through –ONO atoms (oxygen atom of the hydroxyl group of the salicylaldehydic derivatives, the nitrogen atom of azomethine group, and the oxygen atom of enolic group present in the carboxylic acid hydrazides). Around tin atom pentacoordinated geometry was exhibited. The synthesized ligands and their complexes have been assessed for their biological potency (antibacterial, antifungal and antioxidant using Ciprofloxacin, Fluconazole and Ascorbic acid as reference compounds) and few of the compounds showed optimistic activity. The ligands having electron withdrawing group attached showed greater antimicrobial activity as compared to the other ligands. The complexes showed the better activity than the ligands. The general trend followed by the complexes was diphenyl ?> ?dibutyl ?> ?dimethyl substituted complexes. Compound 11 was the most active against microbes. The antioxidant activity increased with electron donating group. The phenyl substituted complexes showed better activity as compared to the dibutyl and dimethyl substituted complexes. Compound 20 was the best antioxidant.     

Schiff bases of indoline-2,3-dione: potential novel inhibitors of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) DNA gyrase

In the present study a series of Schiff bases of indoline-2,3-dione were synthesized and investigated for their Mtb gyrase inhibitory activity. Promising inhibitory activity was demonstrated with some of these derivatives, which exhibited IC(50) values ranging from 50-157 mM. The orientation and the ligand-receptor interactions of such molecules within the Mtb DNA gyrase A subunit active site were investigated applying a multi-step docking protocol using Molecular Operating Environment (MOE) and Autodock4 docking software. The results revealed the importance of the isatin moiety and the connecting side chain for strong interactions with the enzyme active site. Among the tested compounds the terminal aromatic ring benzofuran showed the best activity. Promising new leads for developing a novel class of Mtb gyrase inhibitors were obtained from Schiff bases of indoline-2,3-dione.     

New Schiff Bases Containing Silicon and Their Co(II) and Cu(II) Complexes: Synthesis,Complexation, Characterization,and Antimicrobial and Electrochemical Properties

Two novel Schiff base ligands, 4-((3-(trimethoxysilyl)propylimino)methyl)benzene– 1,2,3-triol (L¹H) and 4-((3-(triethoxysilyl)propylimino)methyl)benzene–1,2,3-triol (L²H), have been synthesized by the reaction of 2,3,4-trihydroxybenzaldehyde with 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane and 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, respectively. The mononuclear Co^II and Cu^II complexes of these Schiff bases were prepared. The complexes of the Schiff bases are formed by coordination of N, O atoms of the ligands. The proposed structures were confirmed by elemental analyses, FT-IR, and UV-visible spectroscopy, magnetic susceptibility, and conductance measurements; the ¹H NMR spectra of the ligands were also recorded. The analytical data show that the metal to ligand ratio in the complexes containing silicon is 1:2. The electrochemical properties of the complexes have been investigated at 100 mVs^?1 scan rate in DMSO. In addition, the antimicrobial activity of L¹H and L²H Schiff ligands, and their [M(L¹)2] and [M(L²)2] type coordination compounds, were investigated.     

Synthesis and Properties of Polymeric Copper Complexes with Schiff Bases

The electrochemical synthesis and properties of polymeric copper complexes with tetradentate (N₂O₂) Schiff bases were studied. The effects of the metal center and ligand surrounding of the starting compounds on the mechanism and kinetics of the charge transport in the polymers are discussed.     

Chromone-based Schiff base metal complexes as catalysts for catechol oxidation: Synthesis,kinetics and electrochemical studies

Two new Schiff base ligands with chromone moiety and their transition metal complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility, molar conductance and TGA analyses, FT IR, UV-Vis, NMR and mass spectroscopy. All the complexes synthesized have been investigated as functional models for catechol oxidase (catecholase) activity by employing 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol as a model substrate. The two mononuclear copper(II) and two mononuclear iron(II) complexes show catecholase activity with turnover (k_cat) numbers lying in the range 27.2–1328.4 h^?1. According to the kinetic measurement results, the rate of catechol oxidation follows first order kinetics and iron(II) complexes were found to have higher catalytic activity than those of copper(II) complexes. Electron-donating substituent on Schiff base ligand enhanced the catalytic activity of metal complexes while the electron-withdrawing substituent led to a decrease in activity. The electrochemical properties of two Schiff bases and their metal complexes were also investigated by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) using glassy carbon electrode (GCE) at various scan rates. Electrochemical processes of all the compounds were observed as irreversible.     

Chemistry and applications of organotin(IV) complexes of Schiff bases

Schiff bases are the most widely used versatile ligands, able to coordinate many elements and to stabilize them in various oxidation states. Recently, this class of compounds has been employed as models for biological systems, and in control of stereochemistry in six-coordinate transition metal complexes. Recently, the chemistry of organotin(IV) complexes of Schiff bases has also stemmed from their antitumour, antimicrobial, antinematicidal, anti-insecticidal and anti-inflammatory activities. Furthermore, organotin(IV) complexes of Schiff bases present a wide variety of interesting structural possibilities. Both aliphatic and aromatic Schiff bases in their neutral and deprotonated forms have been used to yield adducts and chelates with variable stoichiometry and different modes of coordination. This critical review (>155 references) focuses upon the chemistry and biological applications of organotin(IV) complexes of Schiff bases reported in the past 15 years. Thermal behavior of these complexes is also discussed.     

Synthesis, crystal structure and antibacterial activity of a group of mononuclear manganese(II) Schiff base complexes

Five mononuclear complexes of manganese(II) of a group of the general formula, [MnL(NCS)₂] where the Schiff base L = N,N′-bis[(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine (L¹), (1); N,N′-bis[(pyridin-2-yl)benzylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine (L²), (2); N,N′-bis[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]propane-1,2-diamine (L³), (3); N,N′-bis[(pyridin-2-yl)ethylidene]propane-1,2-diamine (L⁴), (4) and N,N′-bis[(pyridin-2-yl)benzylidene]propane-1,2-diamine (L⁵), (5) have been prepared. The syntheses have been achieved by reacting manganese chloride with the corresponding tetradentate Schiff bases in presence of thiocyanate in the molar ratio of 1:1:2. The complexes have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and other physicochemical studies, including crystal structure determination of 1, 2 and 4. Structural studies reveal that the complexes 1, 2 and 4 adopt highly distorted octahedral geometry. The antibacterial activity of all the complexes and their respective Schiff bases has been tested against Gram(+) and Gram(−) bacteria.     

Synthesis,characterization, and antimicrobial studies of some Schiff-base metal(II) complexes

Neutral complexes of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) have been synthesized from the Schiff bases derived from 3-nitrobenzylidene-4-aminoantipyrine and aniline (L¹)/p-nitro aniline (L²)/p-methoxy aniline (L³) in the molar ratio 1 : 1. The structural features have been determined from microanalytical, IR, UV-Vis, ¹H-NMR, mass, and ESR spectral data. The Cu(II) complexes are square planar, while Co(II), Ni(II), and Zn(II) complexes are tetrahedral. Magnetic susceptibility measurements and molar conductance data provide evidence for the monomeric and neutral nature of the complexes. The X-band ESR spectrum of Cu(II) complexes at 300 and 77 K were recorded. The electrochemical behavior of the complexes in MeCN at 298 K was studied. The in vitro biological screening effects of the investigated compounds were tested against the bacterial species Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus vulgaris, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and fungal species Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizoctonia bataicola, and Candida albicans by the well-diffusion method. Comparison of the inhibition values of the Schiff bases and their complexes indicate that the complexes exhibit higher antimicrobial activity.     

Palladium-Catalyzed C-H Bond Functionalization of Benzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-dione: A One Step Access to 2-Arylbenzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-diones

The reactivity of benzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-dione in Pd-catalyzed C−H arylation was investigated. Using aryl bromides as aryl source in the presence of carbonate bases in 1,4-dioxane, the mono-C2-arylated benzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-diones were regioselectively obtained. This procedure allowed to introduce both electron-rich and electron-poor aryl substituents on the benzo[1,2-b : 4,5-b′]dithiophene-4,8-dione unit. These conditions were also effective for the coupling with 1-bromonaphthalene, 9-bromophenanthrene as well as aryl bromides bearing synthetically useful nitrile, chloro and methoxy substituents. The photophysical properties of representative arylated compounds have been performed by joint experimental and theoretical studies.     

Structural and biological behaviors of some nonionic Schiff-base amphiphiles and their Cu(II) and Fe(III) metal complexes

Novel series of nonionic Schiff bases was synthesized and characterized using microelemental analysis, FTIR and (1)H NMR spectra. These Schiff bases and their complexes with Cu and Fe have been evaluated for their antibacterial activity against bacterial species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aureus, Candida albi, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli and their fungicidal activity against Aspcrgillus niger and Aspcrgillus flavus. The results of the biocidal activities showed high potent action of the synthesized Schiff bases towards both bacteria and fungi. Furthermore, complexation of these Schiff bases by Cu(II) and Fe(III) show the metal complexes to be more antibacterial and antifungal than the Schiff bases. The results were correlated to the surface activity and the transition metal type. The mode of action of these complexes was discussed.     

Synthesis and evaluation of novel O-functionalized aminated chitosan derivatives as antibacterial,antioxidant and anticorrosion for 316L stainless steel in simulated body fluid

Chitosan’s Schiff base derivatives are taking the attention of scientists as a promising biomaterial for various applications. In this study, O-functionalized aminated chitosan (O-F-Am-Ch) was coupled with 4,4-dimethyl amino-benzaldehyde and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone to produce Schiff bases (I) and (II), respectively. The chemical and physical properties of the new derivatives were investigated by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) that show a significant band for C=C between 1400 and 1600 cm⁻¹, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), which demonstrate an increase in the thermal stability of new derivatives than O-F-Am-Ch and scanning electron microscope (SEM) that indicates a slight increase in the rough structure of the surface. In addition, 2,2′-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays that examined the antioxidant properties of the new Schiff bases. The biocidal activity against four different bacterial strains [two gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) and two gram-positive (Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus)] demonstrates significant improvement of the inhibition activity compare to O-F-Am-Ch with more activity against Gram-negative bacteria than that against gram-positive bacteria.As an implanted alloy, 316L stainless steel is used as a temporary biomaterial in different countries without any pretreatment. Our study focused on further improving the alloy features by investigating the protection efficiency of O-F-Am-Ch and the synthesized Schiff bases for the 316L stainless steel surface against corrosion in simulated body fluid (SBF). The corrosion inhibition of these compounds was investigated using two electrochemical methods (potentiodynamic polarization technique and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy). The results suggested the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of the compounds under investigation. Furthermore, they demonstrated a considerable dose-dependent inhibiting corrosion of 316L stainless steel in SBF, whereas the inhibition efficiency exceeds 77% at 1000 ppm for the Schiff bases II. In conclusion, the tested derivatives show promising properties to refine stainless steel for implant applications.     

Synthesis,characterization and biological properties of novel ON donor bidentate Schiff bases and their copper(II) complexes

Four novel ON donor Schiff bases (E)-3-((4-phenoxyphenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HL₁),(E)-3-((4-(4-biphenyloxy)phenyliminomethyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HL₂), (E)-3-((4-naphthoxyphenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HL₃), (E)-3-((4-(2-naphthoxy)phenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol (HL₄) and their copper(II) complexes bis((E)-3-((4-phenoxyphenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol) copper(II) (Cu(L₁)₂) bis((E)-3-((4-(4-biphenyloxy)phenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol) copper(II) (Cu(L₂)₂), bis((E)-3-((4-naphthoxyphenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol) copper(II) (Cu(L₃)₂), bis((E)-3-((4-(2-naphthoxy)phenylimino)methyl)benzene-1,2-diol) copper(II) (Cu(L₄)₂) have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic (FTIR, NMR, UV–visible) and elemental analysis. The crystal structures of HL₁, HL₂, HL_3, and HL₄ have been determined, which reveal intramolecular N-H?O (HL₁, HL₂, HL_3, and HL₄) hydrogen bonds in the solid state. Keto-amine and enol-imine tautomerism is exhibited by the Schiff bases in solid and solution states. The Schiff bases and their copper(II) complexes have been screened for their biological activities. In antimicrobial assays (antibacterial and antifungal), HL₄ showed promising results against all strains through dual inhibition property while the rest of the compounds showed activity against selective strains. On the other hand, in cytotoxic, DPPH, and inhibition of hydroxyl (OH) free radical-induced DNA damage assays, the results were found significantly correlated with each other, i.e. the ligands HL₁ and HL₂ showed moderate activity while their complexes Cu(L₁)₂ and Cu(L₂)₂ exhibited prominent increase in activity. As the results of these assays are supporting each other, it represents the strong positive correlation and antioxidant nature of investigated compounds.     

Electrochemical transformations and evaluation of antioxidant activity of some Schiff bases containing ferrocenyl and (thio‐)phenol,catechol fragments

Electrochemical transformations and antioxidant activity of some Schiff bases 1 – 5 containing ferrocenyl group and (thio‐)phenol, catechol fragments were investigated. Compounds under investigation are: 2‐(ferrocenylmethylene)amino)phenol ( 1 ), 2‐((ferrocenylmethylene)amino)‐4,6‐di‐tert‐butylphenol ( 2 ), 2‐((ferrocenylmethylene)amino)‐thiophenol ( 3 ), 3‐((ferrocenylmethylene)hydrazonomethyl)‐4,6‐di‐tert‐butylcatechol ( 4 ) and 2‐((3,5‐di‐tert‐butyl‐4‐hydroxybenzylidene)amino)thiophenol ( 5 ). In a case of compounds 1 – 3 it has shown that the sequence of electrochemical transformations leads to the products of intramolecular cyclization – 2‐ferrocenylbenzoxazole (benzothiazole). o‐Quinone formation occurs during the electrochemical oxidation of catechol‐ferrocene 4 at the first anode stage. Electrochemical oxidation of the redox‐active fragments in Schiff bases 1–4 can be achieved indirectly at a lower potential corresponding to the oxidation of ferrocenyl moiety, consequently these substances can reveal more pronounced antioxidant properties. The antioxidant activities of the compounds were evaluated using 2,2′‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay, the reaction of 2,2′‐azobis(2‐amidinopropane hydrochloride) (AAPH) induced glutathione depletion (GSH), the oxidative damage of the DNA, the process of lipid peroxidation of rat (Wistar) brain homogenates in vitro. The compounds 1–4 in the antioxidant assays show effectiveness comparable with standard antioxidants (vitamin E, Trolox) and in some parameters superior to them. In the reaction of AAPH with the glutathione compounds 2–5 have a more pronounced protective activity than Trolox. Compounds 1–5 inhibit AAPH induced oxidation damage of the DNA. The more effective inhibitors of the lipid peroxidation process in vitro are molecules containing the bulky tert‐butyl groups: 2 and 4 and Schiff base 3 .     

Spectral characterization, cyclic voltammetry, morphology, biological activities and DNA cleaving studies of amino acid Schiff base metal(II) complexes

Metal complexes are synthesized with Schiff bases derived from o-phthalaldehyde (opa) and amino acids viz., glycine (gly) l-alanine (ala), l-phenylalanine (pal). Metal ions coordinate in a tetradentate or hexadentate manner with these N(2)O(2) donor ligands, which are characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, magnetic moments, IR, electronic, (1)H NMR and EPR spectral studies. The elemental analysis suggests the stoichiometry to be 1:1 (metal:ligand). Based on EPR studies, spin-Hamiltonian and bonding parameters have been calculated. The g-values calculated for copper complexes at 300K and in frozen DMSO (77K) indicate the presence of the unpaired electron in the dx2-y2 orbital. The evaluated metal-ligand bonding parameters showed strong in-plane sigma- and pi-bonding. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron micrography (SEM) analysis provide the crystalline nature and the morphology of the metal complexes. The cyclic voltammograms of the Cu(II)/Mn(II)/VO(II) complexes investigated in DMSO solution exhibit metal centered electroactivity in the potential range -1.5 to +1.5V. The electrochemical data obtained for Cu(II) complexes explains the change of structural arrangement of the ligand around Cu(II) ions. The biological activity of the complexes has been tested on eight bacteria and three fungi. Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes show an increased activity in comparison to the controls. The metal complexes of opapal Schiff base were evaluated for their DNA cleaving activities with calf-thymus DNA (CT DNA) under aerobic conditions. Cu(II) and VO(II) complexes show more pronounced activity in presence of the oxidant.