Characterization of thermally induced mechanisms by mass spectrometry-evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS): A study of divalent cobalt and zinc biomimetic complexes with N-heterocyclic dicarboxylic ligands

Mass spectrometry evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS) was applied to characterize cobalt and zinc biomimetic complexes with a polycarboxylate ligand, imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (H2imdc). The precipitated Co(Himdc)2(H2O)2 and Zn(Himdc)2(H2O)2 complexes were studied to determine their thermal stability and to prove their decomposition mechanism by evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS). The results confirmed that the decomposition mechanism, already proposed for the analog copper and nickel complexes, can be assumed as representative for these structures, independently from the central coordinating metal.