Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure

Received: 4 November 2025     Accepted: 14 November 2025     Published: 17 December 2025
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

This study aimed to design, synthesize, and characterize novel ruthenium (II) Schiff base complexes as potential antimicrobial agents to address the growing crisis of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Despite advances in antibiotic development, resistance to existing drugs, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli-demands new compounds with alternative mechanisms of action. A key research gap lies in the limited exploration of pyridine-imine Schiff base ruthenium complexes with systematic substitution (-Br, -OH) and a comparison between simple Ru (II) and Ru(II)-p-cymene architectures. Ligands and their Ru (II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, and melting point. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using agar disc diffusion against both bacterial strains at concentrations ranging from 125 to 1000 µg/mL, with data analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test (α = 0.05). Results showed Ru (II) complexes exhibited significantly higher inhibition than free ligands (p ≤ 0.05), with bromo- and hydroxy-substituted cymene complexes (e.g., L-C2, L1-C2) displaying the strongest activity (up to 14 -15 mm zones). Although all compounds were less potent than gentamycin, the enhanced bioactivity upon metal coordination supports Tweedy’s chelation theory. These findings validate Ru (II)-Schiff base complexes as promising scaffolds for future antimicrobial development, warranting further studies on MIC, toxicity, and antifungal activity.

Published in American Journal of Applied Chemistry (Volume 13, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11
Page(s) 152-163
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Schiff Base, Ruthenium (II) Complexes, Antibacterial Activity, Pyridine-imine Ligands, Spectral Characterization, p-Cymene Ruthenium

References
[1] Catalano, A., Iacopetta, D., Ceramella, J., Scumaci, D., Giuzio, F., Saturnino, C., Aquaro, S., Rosano, C., & Sinicropi, M. S. (2022). Multidrug Resistance (MDR): A Widespread Phenomenon in Pharmacological Therapies. Molecules, 27(3), 616.
[2] Hossain, Md. S. (2018). Metal Complexes as Potential Antimicrobial Agent: A Review. American Journal of Heterocyclic Chemistry, 4(1), 1.
[3] Dickey, S. W., Cheung, G. Y. C., & Otto, M. (2017). Different drugs for bad bugs: antivirulence strategies in the age of antibiotic resistance. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 16(7), 457-471.
[4] Kanaoujiya, R., Singh, M., Singh, J., & Srivastava, S. (2020). Ruthenium Based Anticancer Compounds and Their Importance. Journal of Scientific Research, 64(01), 264-268.
[5] Bolhuis, A., Hand, L., Marshall, J. E., Richards, A. D., Rodger, A., & Aldrich-Wright, J. (2011). Antimicrobial activity of ruthenium-based intercalators. European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 42(4), 313-317.
[6] Rosato, A., Catalano, A., Carocci, A., Carrieri, A., Carone, A., Caggiano, G., Franchini, C., Corbo, F., & Maria Teresa Montagna. (2016). In vitro interactions between anidulafungin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on biofilms of Candida spp. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 24(5), 1002-1005.
[7] Gichumbi, J. M., Friedrich, H. B., Omondi, B., Singh, M., Naicker, K., & Chenia, H. Y. (2016). Synthesis, characterization, and cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities of ruthenium(II) arene complexes with N,N-bidentate ligands. Journal of Coordination Chemistry, 69(23), 3531-3544.
[8] Mjos, K. D., & Orvig, C. (2014). Metallodrugs in Medicinal Inorganic Chemistry. Chemical Reviews, 114(8), 4540-4563.
[9] Wheate, N. J., Walker, S., Craig, G. E., & Oun, R. (2010). The status of platinum anticancer drugs in the clinic and in clinical trials. Dalton Transactions, 39(35), 8113.
[10] Jeon, J., Lee, S., Kim, H., Kang, H., Youn, H., Jo, S., Youn, B., & Kim, H. Y. (2021). Revisiting Platinum-Based Anticancer Drugs to Overcome Gliomas. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(10), 5111.
[11] Li, F., Collins, J. G., & Keene, F. R. (2015). Ruthenium complexes as antimicrobial agents. Chemical Society Reviews, 44(8), 2529-2542.
[12] Keene, A. B., Shiloh, A. L., Eisen, L., Berger, J., Karwa, M., Fein, D., Orsi, D., & Gong, M. (2020). Critical Care Surge During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implementation and Feedback From Frontline Providers. Journal of Intensive Care Medicine, 36(2), 233-240.
[13] Brabec, V., & Kasparkova, J. (2018). Ruthenium coordination compounds of biological and biomedical significance. DNA binding agents. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 376, 75-94.
[14] Munteanu, A.-C., & Uivarosi, V. (2021). Ruthenium Complexes in the Fight against Pathogenic Microorganisms. An Extensive Review. Pharmaceutics, 13(6), 874.
[15] Vigato, P. A., & Tamburini, S. (2004). The challenge of cyclic and acyclic schiff bases and related derivatives. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 248(17-20), 1717-2128.
[16] Liu, X., & Hamon, J.-R. (2019). Recent developments in penta-, hexa- and heptadentate Schiff base ligands and their metal complexes. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 389, 94-118.
[17] Yufanyi, D. M., Abbo, H. S., Titinchi, S. J. J., & Neville, T. (2020). Platinum(II) and Ruthenium(II) complexes in medicine: Antimycobacterial and Anti-HIV activities. Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 414, 213285.
[18] Sadi, A. H., Idris, M. I., & Bashir, S. S. (2018). Synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial studies of Ru(II) complexes with Schiff base co-ligand derived from 5,6-diamino -1,10- phenanthroline and benzene -1,4-dicarbaldehyde. Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 10(1), 468-468.
[19] Reddy, V., Patil, N., & Angadi, S. D. (2008). Synthesis, Characterization and Antimicrobial Activity of Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) Complexes with O, N, and S Donor Ligands. E-Journal of Chemistry, 5(3), 577-583.
[20] El-Sherif, A. A., & Eldebss, T. M. A. (2011). Synthesis, spectral characterization, solution equilibria, in vitro antibacterial and cytotoxic activities of Cu(II), Ni(II), Mn(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) complexes with Schiff base derived from 5-bromosalicylaldehyde and 2-aminomethylthiophene. Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 79(5), 1803-1814.
[21] Howsaui, H. B., Basaleh, A. S., Abdellattif, M. H., Hassan, W. M. I., & Hussien, M. A. (2021). Synthesis, Structural Investigations, Molecular Docking, and Anticancer Activity of Some Novel Schiff Bases and Their Uranyl Complexes. Biomolecules, 11(8), 1138.
[22] Naeimi, H., & Moradian, M. (2009). Synthesis and characterization of nitro-Schiff bases derived from 5-nitro-salicylaldehyde and various diamines and their complexes of Co(II). Journal of Coordination Chemistry, 63(1), 156-162.
[23] Jesmin, M., Ali, M. M., Salahuddin, M. S., Habib, M. R., & Khanam, J. A. (2008). Antimicrobial Activity of Some Schiff Bases Derived from Benzoin, Salicylaldehyde, Aminophenol and 2,4 Dinitrophenyl Hydrazine. Mycobiology, 36(1), 70.
[24] Gichumbi, J. M., Friedrich, H. B., & Omondi, B. (2016). Application of arene ruthenium(II) complexes with pyridine-2-carboxaldimine ligands in the transfer hydrogenation of ketones. Journal of Molecular Catalysis. A, Chemical, 416, 29-38.
[25] Hakobyan, R. M., Shahkhatuni, A. A., Attaryan, H. S., Ayvazyan, A. G., & Melikyan, G. S. (2023). Synthesis and Selected Transformations of New 2‐Aminopyridine Derivatives Based on Furan‐2(5H)‐ones. ChemistrySelect, 8(30).
[26] Bolliger, J. L., Oberholzer, M., & Frech, C. M. (2011). Access to 2-Aminopyridines - Compounds of Great Biological and Chemical Significance. Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis, 353(6), 945-954.
[27] Felten, S., Marshall, S. F., Groom, A. J., Vanderlinden, R. T., Stolley, R. M., & Louie, J. (2018). Synthesis and Characterization of [(NHC)Ni(styrene)2] Complexes: Isolation of Monocarbene Nickel Complexes and Benchmarking of %VBurin (NHC)Ni-π Systems. Organometallics, 37(21), 3687-3697.
[28] Xie, Y., Yang, W., Tang, F., Chen, X., & Ren, L. (2015). Antibacterial activities of flavonoids: structure-activity relationship and mechanism. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 22(1), 132-149.
[29] Gichumbi, J. M., Omondi, B., & Friedrich, H. B. (2017). Half‐Sandwich Osmium(II) Complexes with Bidentate N,N‐Chelating Ligands and Their Use in the Transfer Hydrogenation of Ketones. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry, 2017(5), 915-924.
[30] Kumar, P., Gupta, R. K., & Pandey, D. S. (2014). Half-sandwich arene ruthenium complexes: synthetic strategies and relevance in catalysis. Chem. Soc. Rev., 43(2), 707-733.
[31] Chanerika, R., Friedrich, H. B., & Shozi, M. L. (2019). Application of new Ru (II) pyridine‐based complexes in the partial oxidation of n‐octane. Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 34(2).
[32] Prakash, O., Sharma, K. N., Joshi, H., Gupta, P. L., & Singh, A. K. (2013). Half sandwich complexes of chalcogenated pyridine based bi-(N, S/Se) and terdentate (N, S/Se, N) ligands with (η6-benzene)ruthenium(ii): synthesis, structure and catalysis of transfer hydrogenation of ketones and oxidation of alcohols. Dalton Transactions, 42(24), 8736-8736.
[33] Sovari, S. N., & Zobi, F. (2020). Recent Studies on the Antimicrobial Activity of Transition Metal Complexes of Groups 6-12. Chemistry, 2(2), 418-452.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Nyang’ate, S. O., Gichumbi, J. M., Nthiga, E. W. (2025). Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure. American Journal of Applied Chemistry, 13(6), 152-163. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Nyang’ate, S. O.; Gichumbi, J. M.; Nthiga, E. W. Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure. Am. J. Appl. Chem. 2025, 13(6), 152-163. doi: 10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Nyang’ate SO, Gichumbi JM, Nthiga EW. Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure. Am J Appl Chem. 2025;13(6):152-163. doi: 10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11,
      author = {Shem Ongechi Nyang’ate and Joel Mwangi Gichumbi and Esther Wanja Nthiga},
      title = {Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure},
      journal = {American Journal of Applied Chemistry},
      volume = {13},
      number = {6},
      pages = {152-163},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajac.20251306.11},
      abstract = {This study aimed to design, synthesize, and characterize novel ruthenium (II) Schiff base complexes as potential antimicrobial agents to address the growing crisis of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Despite advances in antibiotic development, resistance to existing drugs, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli-demands new compounds with alternative mechanisms of action. A key research gap lies in the limited exploration of pyridine-imine Schiff base ruthenium complexes with systematic substitution (-Br, -OH) and a comparison between simple Ru (II) and Ru(II)-p-cymene architectures. Ligands and their Ru (II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, and melting point. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using agar disc diffusion against both bacterial strains at concentrations ranging from 125 to 1000 µg/mL, with data analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test (α = 0.05). Results showed Ru (II) complexes exhibited significantly higher inhibition than free ligands (p ≤ 0.05), with bromo- and hydroxy-substituted cymene complexes (e.g., L-C2, L1-C2) displaying the strongest activity (up to 14 -15 mm zones). Although all compounds were less potent than gentamycin, the enhanced bioactivity upon metal coordination supports Tweedy’s chelation theory. These findings validate Ru (II)-Schiff base complexes as promising scaffolds for future antimicrobial development, warranting further studies on MIC, toxicity, and antifungal activity.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Design, Synthesis, and Antimicrobial Profiling of Novel Schiff Base Metal (II) Complexes: Structural Characterization and Structure
    AU  - Shem Ongechi Nyang’ate
    AU  - Joel Mwangi Gichumbi
    AU  - Esther Wanja Nthiga
    Y1  - 2025/12/17
    PY  - 2025
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11
    T2  - American Journal of Applied Chemistry
    JF  - American Journal of Applied Chemistry
    JO  - American Journal of Applied Chemistry
    SP  - 152
    EP  - 163
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8745
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajac.20251306.11
    AB  - This study aimed to design, synthesize, and characterize novel ruthenium (II) Schiff base complexes as potential antimicrobial agents to address the growing crisis of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. Despite advances in antibiotic development, resistance to existing drugs, particularly in Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli-demands new compounds with alternative mechanisms of action. A key research gap lies in the limited exploration of pyridine-imine Schiff base ruthenium complexes with systematic substitution (-Br, -OH) and a comparison between simple Ru (II) and Ru(II)-p-cymene architectures. Ligands and their Ru (II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, UV-Vis, 1H NMR, and melting point. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated using agar disc diffusion against both bacterial strains at concentrations ranging from 125 to 1000 µg/mL, with data analyzed using two-way ANOVA and Fisher’s LSD test (α = 0.05). Results showed Ru (II) complexes exhibited significantly higher inhibition than free ligands (p ≤ 0.05), with bromo- and hydroxy-substituted cymene complexes (e.g., L-C2, L1-C2) displaying the strongest activity (up to 14 -15 mm zones). Although all compounds were less potent than gentamycin, the enhanced bioactivity upon metal coordination supports Tweedy’s chelation theory. These findings validate Ru (II)-Schiff base complexes as promising scaffolds for future antimicrobial development, warranting further studies on MIC, toxicity, and antifungal activity.
    VL  - 13
    IS  - 6
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • Sections