Synthesis and characterisation of ruthenium(III) complexes containing monobasic bidentate Schiff bases and their biological activities

New hexa-coordinated ruthenium(III) complexes of the type [RuX2(L)(EPh3)(2)] (X=Cl or Br; L=monobasic bidentate Schiff base ligand; E = P or As) have been synthesised by the reactions of [RuCl3(PPh3)(3)], [RuCl3(AsPh3)(3)], [RuBr3(AsPh3)(3)] or [RuBr3(PPh3)(2)(MeOH)] with the appropriate ligands such as anthranilic acid cinnamaldehyde (Hanthcin), anthranilic acid p-tolualdehyde (Hanth-p-tol) and anthranilic acid p-anisaldehyde (Hanth-p-ans). All of these new complexes were characterised using various physico-chemical methods such as elemental analyses, spectral (IR, electronic and EPR), magnetic moment and cyclic voltammetric data. The antibacterial activities of ligands and their complexes have also been determined. An octahedral structure has been tentatively assigned to all of the new complexes.