Recent advances in the synthesis and versatile applications of transition metal complexes featuring Schiff base ligands

Abstract

Among the different ancillary ligands, Schiff base (SB) ligands are considered ubiquitous owing to their ease of synthesis and varied applications. When these ligands are utilized to form transition metal complexes, they can modulate the steric and electronic environment of metal ions. These transition metal complexes exhibit specific bioactivity and catalytic activity. Some bioactive SB complexes exhibit excellent anticancer activity against various cell lines, anthelminthic activity, anti-inflammatory activity and anti-oxidant activity. Antimicrobial activity against common Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria was observed for several transition metal complexes, which can thus be utilized in the pharmaceutical sector. In addition to their diverse bioactivities, transition metal complexes have various catalytic applications. Specifically, different carbon–carbon cross-coupling reactions and the oxidation of different organic functional groups have been successfully catalyzed by different SB-transition metal complexes. Herein, this review provides a comprehensive account of the versatile applications of different SB-transition metal complexes, including those based on earth-abundant metals.