Spectroscopy and electrochemistry of cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes

Axial ligation X affects reduction potentials more than equatorial substituents B and A in a study of the electrochemical properties of cobalt(III) derivatives of acacen (H2acacen = bis(acetylacetone) ethylenediimine). The lowest pi-pi* intraligand charge-transfer transition is responsible for the absorption between 340-378 nm in CoIII(acacen) spectra. A study is presented of Co(III) interactions with nucleic acids and proteins, with some cobalt(III) Schiff base complexes known to be antiviral agents.