Varying structural motifs in the salen based metal complexes of Co( ii ), Ni( ii ) and Cu( ii ): synthesis, crystal structures, molecular dynamics and biological activities

) and inhibition constant (6.02 nM). The experimental evidence for the effective binding of 1-4 with the Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein and calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) is in agreement with our molecular docking results. In addition, the cytotoxicity and antibacterial activity of 1-4 were examined and found to be compatible with biological systems, with 4 showing the highest antibacterial activity. All four complexes were analyzed by elemental analysis and UV/vis analysis, and their molecular structures were authenticated by single crystal X-ray studies.