Five-Coordinate Zinc(II) Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, Molecular Structure, and Antibacterial Activities of Bis-[(E)-2-hydroxy-N′-{1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylidene}benzohydrazido]dimethylsulfoxidezinc(II) Complex

The titled Zn(II) complex was synthesized by reacting the compound (E)-2-hydroxy-N′-{1-(4-methoxyphenyl)ethylidene}benzohydrazide with zinc(II) acetate dihydrate in alkaline DMSO and ethanol solution under reflux condition for 28 hours. The resulting solid was filtered and recrystallized from the mixture of ethanol and DMSO. The hydrazone Schiff base and its Zn(II) complex were characterized using 1H, 13C NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Meanwhile, their antibacterial activities were examined using disc diffusion method. The spectral studies showed that the hydrazone Schiff base underwent keto-enol tautomerization, forming a bidentate ligand (N,O) towards Zn(II) ion. Surprisingly, on top of the two hydrazone Schiff base molecules which coordinated to the Zn metal center, an additional DMSO molecule was found attached to the Zn metal center in the crystal data, resulting in a 5-coordinate distorted trigonal bipyramidal Zn(II) complex. Both hydrazone Schiff base and its Zn(II) complexes were found to exhibit low antibacterial activity even when the concentrations were increased to 800 ppm