Physico-chemical characterization and anti- microbial activity of copper(II) complexes with 2-amino and 2-methylbenzimidazole derivatives

Copper(II) chloride, in warm ethanolic solution, reacted with 2-amino and 2-methylbenzimidazole derivatives to give complexes of the formula CuL2Cl2·nH2O, where L=1-benzyl-2-aminobenzimidazole 1-(4-methylbenzyl)-2-aminobenzimidazole, 1-benzyl-2-methylbenzimidazole and 1-(4-methylbenzyl)-2-methylbenzimidazole( n=1 or 2). The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis of the metal, molar conductivity magnetic susceptibility measurements and IR spectra. The molar conductivities of copper(II)complexes in dimethyl formamide (DMF) corresponding to a 1:1 type of electrolyte indicate that in all the complexes one of the coordinated chloride ions has been replaced by DMF molecule. The room temperature effective magnetic moments and IR data of the complexes suggest that all Cu(II) complexes have a tetrahedral configuration, which is realized by participation of the pyridine nitrogen of two organic ligand molecules and two chloride anions. The antimicrobial activity of the ligands and their complexes against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus sp. Staphylococcus aureus, Sarcina lutea and Saccharomyces cerevisiae was investigated. The effect of copper complexation on the ligand antimicrobial activity is discussed