LAUSR

Abstract An environmental benign and efficient reaction was carried out via amine exchange and condensation reaction in water and methanol mixture (3:1) and absence of catalyst between 1-[3-(2-hydroxy benzylidene)amine)phenyl]ethanone and benzhydrazide yields methaniminium hydrazone Schiff base in high yield. The prepared ligand was structurally characterized by using single crystal XRD, elemental analysis and spectroscopy (UV–Vis, FT-IR, LC-MS and NMR) techniques. The crystal data indicates the ligand crystallizes in orthorhombic system with Pna2 1 space group. Further, the ligand was used in synthesis of mononuclear Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) complexes and were characterized by elemental analysis, magnetic moment and spectroscopy (UV–Vis, FT-IR and ESR) studies. The spectral data showed that ligand is coordinated to the metal ion through azomethine nitrogen and methaniminium nitrogen. The DNA binding absorption titrations reveals that, ligand, L and its metal complexes, 1–6 are avid binders to CT- DNA. The apparent binding constant values of compounds are in the order of 10 6  M −1 . The nuclease activity of ligand, L and its metal complexes, 1–6 were investigated by gel electrophoresis method using pUC 18 DNA. The photoluminescent properties of the methaniminium hydrazone ligand, L and its various metal complexes, 1–6 were investigated. The emission spectra of both ligand (L) and metal complexes (1-6) exhibits emission in the range of blue to red.