Spectral characterization of novel ternary zinc(II) complexes containing 1,10-phenanthroline and Schiff bases derived from amino acids and salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonates

A series of new ternary zinc(II) complexes Zn(L(1-10))(phen)], where phen is 1,10-phenanthroline and H(2)L(1-10)=tridentate Schiff base ligands derived from the condensation of amino acids (glycine, l-phenylalanine, l-valine, l-alanine, and l-leucine) and salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonates (sodium salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonate and sodium 3-methoxy-salicylaldehyde-5-sulfonate), have been synthesized. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV-vis, (1)H NMR, and (13)C NMR spectra. The IR spectra of the complexes showed large differences between nu(as)(COO) and nu(s)(COO), Deltanu (nu(as)(COO)-nu(s)(COO)) of 191-225 cm(-1), indicating a monodentate coordination of the carboxylate group. Spectral data showed that in these ternary complexes the zinc atom is coordinated with the Schiff base ligand acts as a tridentate ONO moiety, coordinating to the metal through its phenolic oxygen, imine nitrogen, and carboxyl oxygen, and also with the neutral planar chelating ligand, 1,10-phenanthroline, coordinating through nitrogens.