Advancement in the synthesis of metal complexes with special emphasis on Schiff base ligands and their important biological aspects

Schiff bases and their metal complexes are versatile compounds synthesized from the condensation of an amino compound with carbonyl compound and widely used for the industrial purposes. They also exhibit a broad range of biological activities including antifungal, antimalarial, antiproliferative, antibacterial, antipyretic and antiviral. Many Schiff base complexes exhibit excellent catalytic activity in various reactions. The activity is usually increased by complexation therefore, to understand the properties of both ligands and metal can lead to the synthesis of highly active compounds. The influence of certain metals on the biological activity of these compounds and their intrinsic chemical interest as multidentate ligands has prompted a considerable increase in the study of their coordination behaviour. Development of new Schiff base metal complexes is now attracting the attention of medicinal chemists. This review compiles the synthesis of various multidentate Schiff bases ligands and their complexation with various metals such as Zr, V, Mo, Mn, Fe, Zn, Re, Cd, and Ln. This review is an attempt to congregate complete survey on synthesis and biological activity of Schiff base metal complexes that will give glimpse on the future directions for successful development and discovery of useful drugs.