Abstract The study presents the synthesis and detailed structural investigation of Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) metal ions ligated with Schiff base ligand 2,2'‐((1,2‐Diphenylethane‐1,2‐diylidene)bis(azaneylylidene))bis(4‐chlorophenol) (SBL), derived during the acid‐catalysed condensation of Benzil and 2‐Amino‐4‐chlorophenol. Structural elucidation was conducted using UV‐vis., FT‐IR, NMR, mass spectrometry, P‐XRD, thermal analysis, and DFT studies, revealing distinctive structural features and enhanced thermal stability of the complexes relative to the ligand SBL. Biological evaluations demonstrated that the ligand SBL exhibited better antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporum and higher antioxidant capacity (assessed via the DPPH method) compared to its complexes. However, their potencies were lower than those of commercial standards. Conversely, the Ni(II) complex (SBLNi) demonstrated the most efficient photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue dye, indicating its potential in environmental restoration. Additionally, both the ligand and the metal complexes notably promoted the germination of green gram seeds(Vigna radiata), outperforming both negative (water) and positive (NPK, Urea) controls. These findings highlight the diverse potential of the newly synthesized Schiff base ligand and its metal complexes in biological, environmental, and agricultural applications.
Brahmchari et al. (Sat,) studied this question.