Publication Details
Abstract
Three complexes of zinc(II) that have TAC as their heterocyclic carbonyl ligand, namely [Zn(TAC)₂]Cl₂, [Zn(TAC)(PPh₃)₂]Cl₂, and [Zn(TAC)(dppe)]Cl₂, were prepared and studied by means of Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. They were isolated with yields of 78%, 69%, and 74% and their melting point ranges were found to be 44-47, 153-155, and 171-173 °C. It was found out by FT-IR study that there is a shift of the carbonyl stretching vibrations from 1708 cm⁻¹ for the TAC ligand to 1680.77, 1677.91, and 1679.70 cm⁻¹ in the respective complexes. Antibacterial activity of the complexes was tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus using the agar well diffusion technique where amoxicillin was used as a reference drug. From among the synthesized complexes, [Zn(TAC)(dppe)]Cl₂ had the highest consistency in inhibiting E. coli, with inhibition zone diameters of 3.5 to 3.9 cm when tested at different concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 0.001 mg/mL With S. aureus, amoxicillin yielded higher inhibition zones compared to the three complexes tested at the same concentrations. All antibacterial tests were done in triplicate, and the results were found to be the same for each replicate.