Ruthenium(III) complexes containing monofunctional bidentate Schiff bases

Several new hexa-coordinated ruthenium(III) complexes of the type [RuX2(EPh3)(2)(L)] (X = Cl, Br; E = P, As; LN = o-vanillideneaniline, o-vanillidene-o-toluidine, o-vanillidene-m-toluidine and o-vanillidene-p-toluidine) have been prepared by reacting [RuX3(EPh3)(3)] or [RuBr3(EPh3)(2)(MeOH)] (X = Cl, Br; E = P, As) with Schiff bases derived from the condensation of o-vanillin with aniline, o-toluidine, m-toluidine or p-toluidine in benzene in the presence of triethylamine. In all of the reactions the Schiff bases behave as monobasic bidentate ligands. The new complexes have been characterised on the basis of elemental analyses, spectral (IR, electronic, EPR) and cyclic voltammetric studies. An octahedral structure has been tentatively proposed for all of the new complexes. The Schiff bases and the new complexes have been tested in vitro against the pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger and Fusarium Sp.