Thermoanalytical, magnetic and structural study of Co(II) complexes with substituted salicylaldehydes and neocuproine

In this study, simultaneous TG/DTG-DTA technique was used for two cobalt(II) complexes with neocuproine(neoc) and the anion of a substituted salicylaldehyde ligand (X-salo) (X?=?3-OCH₃, or 5-CH₃) with the general formula [Co(X-salo)₂(neoc)], to determine their thermal degradation in inert atmosphere, which was found to be a multi-step decomposition related to the release of the ligand molecules. The solid material at 1300?°C (verified with PXRD) was a mixture of carbonaceous metal cobalt. Evolved gas analysis by coupled TG-MS verified the elimination of a formaldehyde molecule in the first decomposition stage, initially proposed by the percentage mass loss data. By single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis an octahedral geometry of the complex [Co(3-OCH₃-salo)₂(neoc)] was found. The variable temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements showed a paramagnetic nature of the complexes, in accordance with their molecular structure. Finally, for the determination of the activation energy (E) two different methods (the isoconversional methods of Ozawa, Flynn and Wall (OFW) and Friedman) were used comparatively.