Synthesis, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of oxovanadium(IV)hydroxamate complexes

Vanadium(IV) complexes, [VO(acac)(HL1,2)] and [VO(HL1,2)2] (I-IV) (where acac = ([image omitted]); HL1,2 = R'C(O)NHO-, R' =-CH2OC6H5 and-CH=CHC6H5), have been synthesized by reaction of VO(acac)2 with the potassium salt of phenoxyacetohydroxamic and cinnamohydroxamic acids and characterized by elemental analyses, molar conductivity, magnetic measurements, molecular weight determinations, IR, electronic, mass spectral, and electrochemical studies. From the spectroscopic studies, O,O coordination of hydroxamate ligands and a square-pyramidal geometry for the complexes has been proposed. The antibacterial activities of VO(acac)2, the precursor, the free ligands, and the synthesized oxovanadium(IV)hydroxamate complexes against six bacteria have been assayed by the minimum inhibitory concentration method. The complexes exhibit antimicrobial activities comparable to the standard drug streptomycin.