Abstract

Cadmium and mercury selenocyanate complexes of 2-thiouracil (TU) and 2,4-dithiouracil (DTU) ligands have been synthesized to form complexes of the type [M(SeCN)2(TU)] and [M(SeCN)2(DTU)] (where M is Cd2+ or Hg2+) and studied by various spectroscopic techniques such as IR, 1H and 13C NMR in solution and in the solid state for 13C, 15N, and 113Cd nuclei. Based on IR, and solution and solid-state 13C NMR data, stronger cadmium bonding to the thiouracil was observed compared to that of mercury. Anti-bacterial activities of these complexes have been investigated with standard type culture of Escherichia coli (MTCC 443), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC 109), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC 1688), Salmonella typhi (MTCC 733) and Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 737) and show that ligands exhibit more anti-bacterial activities than that of the corresponding Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes.