Schiff bases complexes structural investigations and applications

This book focused on Schiff bases ligands and their metal complexes. Through this review, different types of ligands, their various bonding modes depending on donor atoms and substitutions, their methods of synthesis, bonding examples, their structural determination and finally new trends of their applications were extensively investigated. This class of compounds is known since 1864 and their metal complexes were extensively studded for more than 75 years because of their biological activities and industrial applications. Schiff bases ligands are easily manipulated by selecting suitable condensing compounds (carbonyl and amine) and reaction condition. The geometry and mode of coordination may differ by using altering the used metal salts or reaction conditions. Many members of this class showed interestingly biological activities as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, anti-hypertensive and anti-fungal. Catalytic activities of these compounds were also investigated in many catalytic reactions as homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysts. These reactions include transfer hydrogenation, oxidation of organic compounds, epoxidation reactions and amide synthesis.