Synthesis and Anti-Bacterial/Catalytic Properties of Schiff Bases and Schiff Base Metal Complexes Derived from 2,3-Diaminopyridine

Two new Schiff bases (1a)-(2a) derived from 2,3-diaminopyridine (DAPY) with pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde (Pyrr) and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde (NaphH), and new copper(II), iron(III), nickel(II), ruthenium(II) and zinc(II) complexes (1b)-(1e), (2b)-(2f) and (3b)-(3d) derived from these two new Schiff bases, and the bis-condensed Schiff base of 2,3-diaminopyridine and salicylaldehyde (SalH) were synthesized. They were characterized by a combination of elemental analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, IR and NMR spectra. The two new Schiff bases and some of the metal complexes show antibacterial activity. The iron(III) and Ru(II) complexes display catalytic activity in the oxidation of alcohols in the presence of N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide as co-oxidant.