Synthesis, antioxidant, antibacterial, and DFT study on a coumarin based salen-type Schiff base and its copper complex

Synthesis of new efficient compounds is becoming urgent due to the resistance of organisms to drugs. Salen derivatives have interesting therapeutic and industrial applications. A coumarin based derivative of salen, 7-hydroxy-8-(( E )-((2-((E)-((7-hydroxy-5-methyl-2-oxo-3,8 a -dihydro-2Hchromen-8-yl)methylene)amino)-4-methylphenyl)imino)methyl)-5-methyl-2 H -chromen-2-one (L), and its copper complex, CuL, have been synthesized and characterized. Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of these compounds have been evaluated and electronic, optical and molecular properties have been calculated using density functional theory (DFT) with B3LYP. The results were correlated with the biological activity and reactivity of the compounds. Experimental and theoretical calculations indicate that the studied copper complex has the potential to function as a drug.