Synthesis, spectral, thermal, kinetic and antibacterial studies of transition metal complexes with benzimidazolyl-2-hydrazones of o-hydroxyacetophenone, o-hydroxybenzophenone and o-vanillin

A novel series of Schiff base metal complexes of the type [M(L)2].nH2O, where L= 2-(α-methylsalicylidenehydrazino) benzimidazole (L1), 2-(α-phenylsalicylidenehydrazino)benzimidazole (L2), 2-(o-vanillinidenehydrazino)benzimidazole (L3), M = Cu(II), Co(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II), have been synthesized and characterized. The results are in consistent with tridentate chelation of ligand with azomethine nitrogen, ring nitrogen and a deprotonated phenolic oxygen atom. All these compounds have been screened for their antibacterial activities against B. subtilis, B. stearothermophilus, E. coli and S. typhi.