Synthesis, structural characterisations, electrochemical behavior and antibacterial activities of a chromium(III) resorcinolate complex

The integration and implementation of transition metal complexes as working electrode for surface modifications has become an area of research interest now a days. Based on this, a novel anionic complex having a formula of Na3[Cr(HR)4Cl2] (HR- = resorcinolate) with octahedral geometry, was prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, molar conductance, vibrational spectra. Electropolymerization of the ligand, salt, and complex was done on glassy carbon electrodes with effective surface area 0.15, 0.17, and 0.2 cm2 for poly(NaHR)/GCE, Cr(0)/GCE, and poly(Na3[Cr(HR)4(Cl2)]/GCE respectively. The presence of a redox polymer film on the surface of the electrode was indicated by the experimental changes observed for a solution containing Na3[Cr(HR)4Cl2]. Specifically, the anodic peak currents, which represent the oxidation process, showed significant increases at different potential values compared to the ligand and salt. These potential values were approximately + 114 mV and + 573 mV. Additionally, the cathodic peak current, which is corresponding to the reduction process, exhibited changes at − 230 mV as the scan cycles were increased. These variations strongly suggested the formation of a film composed of a redox polymer on the electrode's surface. Further, the resistance to charge transfer (Rct) of the compound is in the lower voltage compared to the free ligand, CrCl3•6H2O, and the unmodified GCE. This indicates that the modified compound exhibits improved conductivity due to its reduced charge transfer resistance. The antibacterial activity assessed against two Gram-positive bacteria strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus epidermis) and two Gram-negative bacteria strains (Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae), indicate that the Cr(III) complex exhibit higher antibacterial activity compared to the ligand and the metal salt but lower than the reference. The synthesized is a highly conductive material suitable for potential applications in sensors and catalysis, especially in situations that require efficient and rapid electron transfer process •A trianionic complex having a formula of Na3[Cr(HR)4Cl2] (HR- = Resorcinolate) was synthesised and characterised.•The trianionic complex moiety is stabilised by three sodium counter cations.•The electrochemical activities of the synthesised complex was investigated by cyclic voltammetric investigation and the complex and the corresponding precursors were screened for the antibacterial activities.