Preparation, characterization and antifungal properties of nickel(II) complexes of tridentate ONS ligands derived from N-methyl-S-methyldithiocarbazate and the X-ray crystal structure of the [Ni(ONMeS)CN]·H2O complex

Nickel(II) complexes of general empirical formula, NiLX·nH2O (L = deprotonated form of the Schiff base formed by condensation of N-methyl-S-methyldithiocarbazate with 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde or 5-bromo-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde; X = Cl−, Br−, NCS−, AcO− or CN−; n = 0, 1) have been prepared and characterized by a variety of physico-chemical techniques. Magnetic and spectroscopic data support a square-planar structure for these complexes. The crystal structure of the [Ni(ONMeS)CN]·H2O complex (ONMeS = anionic form of the 2-hydroxybenzaldehyde Schiff base of N-methyl-S-methyldithiocarbazate) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The complex has a distorted square-planar structure in which the Schiff base is coordinated to the nickel(II) ion as a uninegatively charged anion coordinating via the phenolic oxygen atom, the azomethine nitrogen atom and the thione sulfur atom. The fourth coordination position is occupied by a cayano ligand. The antifungal properties of the Schiff bases and their nickel(II) complexes were studied against three plant pathogenic fungi. The ligands display moderate fungitoxicities against these organisms but their nickel(II) complexes are less active than the free ligands.