LAUSR

Abstract The tridentate ligand H2L1, [(E)-7-Hydroxy-8-[(2-hydroxy-phenylimino)-methyl]-4-methyl-chromen-2-one] has been used in the present work towards the synthesis of mononuclear oxidovanadium complexes. Three mononuclear complexes [VOL1(OMe)(MeOH)], 1; [VO(L1)(8-Hq)], 2 and [VO(L1)(1,10-phen)], 3 have been successfully synthesized with high yields by reacting [VO(acac)2] with H2L1 in 1:1 ratio in methanol under refluxing conditions where 8-hydroxyquinoline and 1,10-phenanthroline were used as co-ligands in the synthesis of complex 2 and 3. X-ray crystallographic studies reveal that in all the complexes synthesized in the present study, the ligand H2L1 binds as O^N^O coordinating ligand. The synthesized complexes were well characterized by using UV–Vis, IR, NMR and Mass spectral techniques. The physiochemical properties have been well interpreted by density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. The synthesized complexes were established to show some distinctive properties e.g. oxidative bromination of aromatic aldehyde with high conversion rate and enhanced selectivity as well as high TON and TOF. The above properties were all well matched and demonstrated by using UV–visible and fluorescence as well as quenching studies. Complex 1 reacts with 3,5-DTBC catalytically in presence of molecular oxygen to generate corresponding ortho-benzoquinone.