Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Schiff Base Metal Complexes as Antimicrobial Agents

This project focuses on the synthesis of novel Schiff base ligands derived from naturally occurring carbonyl compounds and their coordination with transition metal ions including copper(II), zinc(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II). The resulting metal complexes are evaluated for their antimicrobial and antifungal activity against a panel of clinically relevant pathogens. Schiff base complexes have attracted considerable attention in medicinal inorganic chemistry owing to their ease of synthesis, structural versatility, and demonstrated biological activity. By varying substituents on the imine backbone and the choice of coordinating metal centre, this project aims to develop structure–activity relationships that guide the rational design of more potent antimicrobial agents. All synthesised compounds are characterised by elemental analysis, molar conductance measurements, UV-Vis, IR, and NMR spectroscopy. Biological screening follows standard disc diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) protocols. The project directly addresses the global challenge of antimicrobial resistance by contributing structurally novel scaffolds to the drug discovery pipeline.