Synthesis, structural, spectroscopic, and thermal studies of some transition-metal complexes of a ligand containing the amino mercapto triazole moiety

A new series of transition-metal complexes of Schiff base ligand containing the amino mercapto triazole moiety (HL) was prepared. The Schiff base and its metal complexes were elucidated by different spectroscopic techniques (infrared [IR], H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance, UV-Visible, mass, and electron spin resonance [ESR]), and magnetic moment and thermal studies. Quantum chemical calculations have been carried out to study the structure of the ligand and some of its complexes. The IR spectra showed that the ligand is chelated with the metal ion in a neutral, tridentate, and bidentate manner using NOS and NO donors in complexes 1-6, 10-12, and 7 and 8, respectively, whereas it behaves in a monobasic tridentate fashion using NOS donor sites in copper(II) nitrate complex (9). The magnetic moment and electronic spectra data revealed octahedral and square pyramidal geometries for complexes 2, 11, 12, and 5-8 and 10, respectively. However, the other complexes were found to have tetrahedral (4), trigonal bipyramidal (1 and 3), and square planar (9) structures. Thermal studies revealed that the chelates with different crystallized solvents undergo different types of interactions and the decomposition pathway ended with the formation of metal oxygen (MO) and metal sulfur (MS) as final products. The ESR spectrum of copper(II) complex 10 is axial in nature with hyperfine splitting with B-2(1g) as a ground state. By contrast, complexes 7 and 8 undergo distortion around the Cu(II) center, affording rhombic ESR spectra. The HL ligand and some of its complexes were screened against two bacterial species. Data showed that complex 12 demonstrated a better antibacterial activity than HL ligand and other chelates.