Synthesis Characterization and Biological Activities of an Enamine Derivative and Its Coordination Compounds

The medicinal uses and applications of metal complexes are of increasing clinical and commercial importance; this is as a result of some level of success achieved so far. In this regard, novel enamine free-base ligands were synthesized by the condensation of terephthalaldehyde and 2-(methylamino)ethanol. This afforded a dinegative ONNO donor enamine, free base, characterized using 1H and 13C NMR, Fourier-transformed infrared and UV-vis spectroscopy. Coordination compounds of the enamine were also synthesized using Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II) and VO(IV) ions. These complexes were characterized by electronic, IR spectrophotometry, mass spectrometry, magnetic susceptibility and EDX. The compounds were thereafter evaluated for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities. The data obtained were supportive of an octahedral geometry for the Cu(II) complex, a square-pyramidal geometry for the vanadium complex and a 4-coordinate square-planar geometry for both the cobalt and nickel complexes. The magnetic susceptibility data revealed that the complexes are magnetically dilute and mononuclear with exception of the cobalt complex. The ligands and the complexes did not exhibit significant antimicrobial and cytotoxic assays, indicative of the nontoxicity of the ligand and complexes.