New copper(II) clofibriates (clof, {2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic or 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)isobutyric acid}) of composition Cu(clof)2L2 (where L=2-pyridylmethanol (2-pymeth) (1), N-methylnicotinamide (Menia) (4), N,N-diethylnicotinamide (Et2nia) (5), isonicotinamide (isonia) (7) or methyl-3-pyridylcarbamate (mpc) (8)), [Cu(clof)2(4-pymeth)2(H2O)] · 2H2O (4-pymeth=4-pyridylmethanol) (2 · 2H2O) and Cu(clof)2L (where L=4-pymeth (3) or Et2nia (6)) have been prepared and spectroscopically characterized. All the Cu(clof)2L2 compounds seem to possess distorted octahedral copper(II) stereochemistry with differing tetragonal distortions. An X-ray analysis of 1 was carried out and it featured a tetragonal-bipyramidal geometry around the copper(II) atom. X-ray analysis of 2 · 2H2O featured a square-pyramidal geometry around copper(II) atom. Both the Cu(clof)2L compounds seem to consist of a binuclear unit of tetracarboxylate type bridging. An X-ray analysis of 6 revealed typical binuclear paddle-wheel type structure, consisting of two copper(II) atoms in square-pyramidal geometry bridged by four carboxylate anions in the xy-plane. All complexes under study were characterized by EPR and electronic spectroscopy. The antimicrobial effects have been tested on various strains of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi.

A number of isomeric N-benzylbenzalimine palladium(II) complexes of the type [PdX(o-C6H4 · C(CH)3)N·CH2Ph]2 (with CN endo to the palladocycle) and [PdX(o-C6H4 · CH2NC(CH3Ph]2 (with CN exo to the palladocycle), have been prepared and charcterised by 1H and 13C NMR methods. The crystal structures of two analogous monomeric acac complexes, synthesized independently by oxidative addition of o-BrC6H4CH2NCH · Ph to Ph to Pd(dibenzylideneacetone)2 have also been determined. These are [Pd(acac)(o-C6H4 · CHN · CH2Ph)] (15a) and [Pd(acac)(o-C6H4 · CH2NCHPh)] (20a). Crystals of 15a are monoclinic, space group P21/a with Z = 4 in a cell of dimensions a 10.286(2), b 11.902(3), c 13.895(5) Å, β 93.52(2)° while 20a is monoclinic, space group P21/c with Z = 8 and a 10.353(3), b 20.600(5), c 16.545(7) Å, β 92.14(3)°. The structures 15a and 20a were refined to residuals R = 0.041 and 0.055 for 1661 and 2525 observed reflections respectively.