Electrophoretic study of cationic cobalt(III) complexes with [N2O] and [N2O2] Schiff base ligands

The electrophoretic migration behavior of acid-sensitive cationic alkylcobalt(III) complexes with tridentate Schiff bases and amines as well as that of related ‘inorganic’ cobalt(III) chelates with tridentate and tetradentate Schiff bases was studied. A correlation of the electrophoretic mobility of the organocobalt complexes in question with their structure was established. An attempt to optimize the analytical procedures for capillary electrophoretic separation of these rather labile complex cations is outlined. Their decomposition in solutions under ambient conditions was surveyed using this technique.