Syntheses and crystal structures of two Schiff-base copper(II) complexes with antibacterial activities

Two structurally similar trinuclear complexes, [Cu(Cu(mu-Cl)(2)L1)(2)] (1) and [Cu(Cu(mu-Cl)(2)L2)(2)] (2) (HL1 = 4-chloro-2-[(2-morpholin-4-ylethylimino)methyl] phenol, HL2 = 1-[(2-piperidin-1ylethylimino)methyl]naphthalen-2-ol), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. Both complexes are bridged trinuclear compounds. The central Cu in each complex is in an octahedral environment with two phenolate and four bridging chlorides. The symmetry-related terminal Cu in each complex is square pyramidal with one phenolate oxygen, one imine nitrogen and one amine nitrogen of the Schiff-base ligand, one Cl(-) in the basal plane, and one bridging Cl(-) in the apical position. The complexes and Schiff bases were tested in vitro for their antibacterial activities.