A Schiff base bearing two methyl substituents, namely,
6,6′-((1E,1′E)-((2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diyl)
bis(azanylylidene)) bis(methanylylidene)) bis(2-methylphenol) [H2AD1Me] was synthesized and characterized through physicochemical
and spectroscopic analyses. Then, the Schiff base was complexed with
Pd(II) and Ni(II) to form [Pd(AD1Me)] and [Ni(AD1Me)], respectively.
Both metal complexes were successfully obtained and characterized
through several analyses, viz., melting point, elemental
analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, FTIR, 1H NMR, UV–vis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction.
A quantitative analysis of the intermolecular interactions in the
crystal structures has been performed using Hirshfeld surface analysis.
Both metal complexes were crystallized in a monoclinic crystal system
with the space group of P21/c. Additionally, the deprotonated phenolic oxygen atom (O1/O2) and
azomethine nitrogen atom (N1/N2) of the ligand chelate the Pd(II)
and Ni(II) ions, forming a slightly distorted square-planar complex
containing three six-membered rings encircling the metal core with
dsp2 hybridization. The shift of ν(CN) to
a higher frequency in FTIR by 26–28 cm–1 indicated
that the complexation to Pd(II) and Ni(II) through the azomethine
N was established. It was further supported through the shifting of
the azomethine proton signal to higher or lower chemical shifts with
Δδ = 0.43–1.15 ppm in 1H NMR. In addition,
the shifting of the n−π*(CN) band in UV–vis
spectra with Δλ = 24–40 nm indicated the involvement
of azomethine nitrogen in the complexation. All the compounds showed
no significant antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains,
namely, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (ATCC 6538), Streptococcus mutans Clarke (ATCC 700,610), and Proteus vulgaris (ATCC
6380), as the percent growth inhibition calculated was less than 90%.