Triorganosilicon(IV) complexes as biocides: Synthetic,spectroscopic and biological studies of N SH and N OH fluoroimines and their chelates

A facile synthesis and study of the stereochemistry and biochemical aspects of some triorganosilicon(IV) complexes derived from fluoroimines having N S and N O systems are reported. The fluoroimines were prepared by the condensation of 2-fluorobenzaldehyde and 1-(2-fluorophenyl)ethanone with semicarbazide and thiosemicarbazide. These imines react with triorganosilicon(IV) chlorides to yield compounds having Si? O/Si? S and Si ← N bonds. The structures of the compounds have been elucidated by physicochemical and spectral (UV, IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and ⁹F NMR) studies which clearly point to a trigonal bipyramidal geometry around silicon(IV), as the active lone pair of nitrogen is also included in the coordination sphere. In the search for better fungicides and bactericides, studies were conducted to assess the growth-inhibiting potential of the synthesized complexes against various pathogenic fungal and bacterial strains. These studies demonstrate that the concentrations reached levels which are sufficient to inhibit and kill the pathogens.