A review on synthesis and applications of some selected Schiff bases with their transition metal complexes

This review presents an outline of biological and non-biological applications of transition metal complexes containing Schiff bases as ligands. Schiff bases are prepared by facile condensation of aliphatic and aromatic amino compounds with carbonyl groups to generate an imine or azomethine (–C = N–) functional group. Studies on Schiff base transition metal complexes have been of interest because of a wide range of applications in medicinal chemistry and their catalytic, photoluminiscent and non-linear optical properties. The new advancements of Schiff bases having various donor sets made up of different combinations of N, O, S, or P donor atoms, as well as their metal complexes, are also highlighted in this study.