Solvent-Free Synthesis and Characterization of the Zn(II) Complexes with Amino Acid Schiff Base

Three zinc (II) complexes of the amino acid Schiff base were synthesized by the one step reaction of amino acid with aldehyde, zinc acetate in solvent-free. The compositions and structures of the complexes were characterized by elemental analyses, FTIR, XRD, TG-DSC. The compositions of the complexes are ZnL• n H 2 O (L = sal-leu, sal-ala, van-leu; sal = salicylaldehyde; van = vanillic aldehyde; leu = leucine; ala = alanine). Infrared spectra of the complexes indicate that the Schiff base ligands are formed, zinc ion is coordinated to the Schiff base ligands as terdentate with O, O and N donors from carboxylic, phenolic and imino groups respectively, the coordination numbers of zinc ion is four. The possible pyrolysis reactions in the thermal decomposition process of the complexes, the experimental and calculated percentage mass loss are also given.