Synthesis, characterization and DNA-binding studies of Cu(II) and Ni(II) complexes of 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxy-propane derivatives

Three metal complexes, [Cu(L1)]2 (1), [Cu(L2)] (2) and [Ni(L2) (H2O)2]·1.5H2O (3), were synthesized using two different ligands (H2L1=N,N′-bis(2-hydroxy-3-methyl-benzylidene)-2-hydroxy-propane-1,3-diamine and H2L2=N,N′-bis(2-acetyl-indane-1,3-dione)-2-hydroxy-propane-1,3-diamine) and characterized by different spectroscopic methods. Complex 1 was studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In 1, each Cu(II) metal center has distorted square pyramidal structure. Complexes 2 and 3 have square planar and octahedral geometries, respectively. The interaction of calf-thymus DNA (CT-DNA) with H2L2 and the metal complexes (1–3) has been probed by UV–Vis absorption, photoluminescence, cyclic voltammetry and viscosity measurements.