Study on the interaction of Zinc(II) Complexes with Schiff Bases: A case study using Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide

Sristi Raj Rai ¹ , Anwita Sarkar ¹ , Akshaya Pandey ¹ , Sanchari Dasgupta ², Ishani Majumder ² , Debasis Das², Debosreeta Bose ³* , and  Madhumita Mukhopadhyay ^3* 

1 Amity Institute of Biotechnology,  Amity University Kolkata, Rajarhat Newtown, Kolkata 700135.

2 Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata 700 009, India

3 Department of Chemistry, Amity University Kolkata, Rajarhat Newtown, Kolkata 700135

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Photometric studies of fluorophores have gained tremendous attention from the present-day chemists and biologists. Microenvironments around the reactants greatly influence the chemical reactions carried out both in ex-situ and in-vivo biological media. Modern-day research is attracted towards the understanding of underlying chemistry and biology associated with these fluorophore molecules in organized biomimicking/microheterogenous media. Micelles belonging to the microenvironment of surfactant molecules are considered to be the simplest and thermodynamically favoured self-assembled system. Studies on binding interaction of fluorophore molecules with micelles have potential applications of drug delivery, synthesis of functional materials, nano-medicine development, sensors etc. Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) are found as the functional materials in the recent works on sensors, solid-state devices, mesoporous materials.

The host-guest chemistry of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) has been found to function as an excellent explosive sensor because of its porosity and high surface area. Literature reviews show that fluorimetric method of detection is a very simple technique and highly sensitive, however, the preparation of MOFs is time-consuming, costly, and sometimes requires drastic conditions. Schiff base complexes bear large applications in the field of catalysis, sensors, etc. Under such a scenario, Zn (II) based Schiff base complexes are rarely reported which can be employed for detection of explosives through fluorescence studies. 

Dasgupta et al. have synthesized and characterized a library of Zn (II) Schiff base complexes wherein methyl, isopropyl, tert-butyl, and Cl are placed in the para position of phenol of four distinct compounds respectively. These complexes of Zinc (II) Schiff bases have been synthesized and characterized to apply them as a nitroaromatic detector by utilizing their fluorescent behaviour. 

The fluorescent behaviour of these nitroaromatic sensor Schiff bases in Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) provides us an eye to decipher these zinc (II) complexes of Schiff bases in biomembranes. Entrapping of such potent molecules with different biomimetic environments attracts interest in exploring the potential usefulness of its fluorescence properties for the understanding of its interactions with relevant biological media.

A detailed photophysical study of zinc (II) Schiff bases 2,6-bis((E)-((2-(dimethylamino) ethyl)imino)methyl)-4-R-phenol, where R= methyl/ isopropyl/ tertiary butyl/ chloro for HL1 – HL4 have been done by utilizing CTAB as the biomimicking membrane. Steady-state fluorescence absorption and emission studies have been applied to investigate the due course of the deciphering. Preliminary studies show the fluorescent intensity of all the four complexes first decreases then increases until it reaches a saturation value. The binding constant values reveal that the Schiff bases bind to the micellar compartment. Upon binding with the surfactant molecule, CTAB the photophysical behaviour of the complexes is modified as compared to the situation in aqueous solution. The substituents of the compartmental ligand significantly influence the binding of the Schiff base complexes with the micellar CTAB environment.

In conclusion, these results will add knowledge about the potential applications and dynamical behaviour of these Schiff bases in the field of colloid and interface science.

Also read: Molecules for Life- Thioredoxin System

This article is based on the research paper published in Macromolecular Synposia

Rai Sristi Raj,  Sarkar Anwita,  Pandey  Akshaya,  Dasgupta  Sanchari,  Majumder Ishani,  Das Debasis,  Bose  Debosreeta,  Mukhopadhyay Madhumita  .Photometric Study of the Interaction of Zinc (II) Complexes of Schiff Bases with Cetyltrimethyl Ammonium Bromide(2019), Macromolecular Symposia, 388, pp. 1900030(1-7), (Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)  https://doi.org/10.1002/masy.20190003

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