Synthesis, characterization, electrochemical, catalytic and antimicrobial activity studies of hydrazone Schiff base ruthenium(II) complexes

Four tridentate O, N, O donor Schiff base ligands were prepared by the reaction of substituted benzhydrazide and appropriate salicylaldehyde. The complexes of these ligands were synthesized by refluxing the ligands with ruthenium(II) starting complexes of the formula [RuHCl(CO)(EPh3)2B] in benzene, where E = P or As; B = PPh3 or AsPh3 or pyridine. The newly synthesized complexes were characterized by elemental, spectral (FT‐IR, UV and NMR) and electrochemical data. On the basis of the above studies, an octahedral structure has been proposed for all the complexes. The catalytic efficiency of the complexes in aryl–aryl couplings and oxidation of alcohols was examined and their inhibition activity against the growth of the micro‐organisms was also examined. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Ruthenium(II) hydrazone Schiff base complexes were prepared and characterized. Their application as catalysts in the field of oxidation of alcohols using NMO and molecular oxygen as oxidants and aryl–aryl coupling was studied. Antimicrobial properties of the above complexes were also examined.