synthesis, structural elucidation, and antioxidant evaluation of zncl₂ and hgcl₂ complexes with substituted (e)-4-(benzylideneamino)phenols

A series of novel substituted (e)-4-(benzylideneamino)phenol schiff base ligands and their corresponding zncl2 and hgcl2 complexes were synthesized and investigated for their structural and antioxidant properties. the schiff bases were prepared by condensing substituted benzaldehydes with 4-aminophenol, and their complexation with zn(ii) and hg(ii) salts afforded stable metal–ligand assemblies. the synthesized compounds were thoroughly characterized using elemental analysis, molar conductivity, ft-ir, and nmr, which confirmed the formation of discrete coordination complexes with well-defined geometries. antioxidant activities were assessed using standard free radical scavenging assays, revealing that metal coordination significantly enhanced the antioxidant potential of the parent ligands. notably, zn(ii) complexes exhibited stronger activity than their hg(ii) analogues, suggesting a structure-dependent relationship between the metal center and bioactivity. these results highlight the potential of (e)-4-(benzylideneamino)phenol-based metal complexes as promising scaffolds for developing organometallic compounds with antioxidant properties, and provide a foundation for further biological and mechanistic studies.