Synthesis of (2-hydroxo-5-chlorophenylaminoisonitrosoacetyl)phenyl ligands and their complexes: Spectral,thermal and solvent-extraction studies

Four different types of new ligands Ar[COC(NOH)R] _n (Ar=biphenyl, n = 1 H₂L¹; Ar=biphenyl, n = 2 H₄L²; Ar=diphenylmethane, n = 1 H₂L³; Ar=diphenylmethane, n = 2 H₄L⁴; R=2-amino-4-chlorophenol in all ligands) have been obtained from 1 equivalent of chloroketooximes Ar[COC(NOH)Cl] _n (HL¹-H₂L⁴) and 1 equivalent of 2-amino-4-chlorophenol (for H₂L¹ and H₂L³) or 2 equivalent of 2-amino-4-chlorophenol (for H₄L² and H₄L⁴). (Mononuclear or binuclear cobalt(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and zinc(II) complexes were synthesized with these ligands.) These compounds have been characterized by elemental analyses, AAS, infra-red spectra and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The ligands have been further characterized by ¹H NMR. The results suggest that the dinuclear complexes of H₂L¹ and H₂L³ have a metal:ligand ratio of 1:2; the mononuclear complexes of H₄L² and H₄L⁴ have a metal:ligand ratio of 1:1 and dinuclear complexes H₄L² and H₄L⁴ have a metal:ligand ratio of 2:1. The binding properties of the ligands towards selected transition metal ions (Mn^II, Co^II, Ni^II, Cu^II, Zn^II, Pb^II, Cd^II, Hg^II) have been established by extraction experiments. The ligands show strong binding ability towards mercury(II) ion. In addition, the thermal decomposition of some complexes is studied in nitrogen atmosphere.