Cobalt and nickel complexes of versatile imidazole- and pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazones. Synthesis, characterisation and antimicrobial activity

Ni(II), Co(II) and Co(III) complexes of imidazole- and pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone ligands (H₂L¹ and H₂L², respectively) have been prepared. The X-ray crystal structures of Co(L¹)(HL¹)], Ni(H₂L¹)₂]Cl₂ · 3.5H₂O and Ni(HL²)₂] have been solved. The Co(III) ion assumes a slightly distorted octahedral coordination geometry, involving both N₂S binding domain of di- and monoanionic ligand molecules. Whereas in Ni(HL²)₂] the metal ion is tetracoordinated in a square planar geometry by two pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone molecules acting as NS-donor, the spatial array of non deprotonated H₂L¹ ligand molecules in Ni(H₂L¹)₂]Cl₂ · 3.5H₂O is equivalent to that found for Co(L¹)(HL¹)]. The in vitro antimicrobial properties of the ligands and their complexes were tested against representative bacterial and fungal strains in broth culture. The compounds H₂L² and Co(L²)(HL²)(H₂L²)] · 1.5H₂O exhibit a moderate inhibitory effect on the microbial proliferation and only against some Gram positive bacteria.