SYNTHESES AND EVALUATION OF THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF HALOGENATED IMIDAZOLES AND THEIR MN(II), NI(II), AND ZN(II) COMPLEXES

4, 5-Dichloroimidazole (4, 5-DCI) and 2, 4,5-Tribromoimidazole were synthesized, recrystallized from the appropriate solvents and characterized using spectroscopic methods. They were screened for their antimicrobial activities against five bacterial strains namely: Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus strain CF7, Bacillus thuringensis strain EB151, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 335K55, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PG1. These microorganisms were very sensitive to the compounds. Their sensitivities were increased appreciably by the Ni2+ and Mn2+ complexes of 4, 5-dichloroimidazole and reduced by its Zn2+ complex. Their sensitivities towards 2, 4, 5-tribromoimdazole were either greatly reduced or totally lost upon complexation. The differences in these sensitivities are attributed majorly to the halogens as the metal ions are common to both ligands.