Antimicrobial Activity, Spectral Studies and Micellar Properties of Some Surfactant-Cobalt(III) Complexes†

Some new surfactant-cobalt(III) complex ions of the type, cis-[Co(X)2(C11H23NH2)2] 3+ (where X= ethylenediamine or 2,2’ bipyridyl or 1,10-phenanthroline) and cis-α-Co(trien) (C11H23NH2)2] 3+ were synthesized and characterized by IR, NMR, UV-Visible spectra, elemental and metal analysis. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of these surfactant-cobalt(III) complexes in aqueous solution were obtained from conductance measurements. Specific conductivity data (at 298, 308 and 318 K) served for the evaluation of temperature-dependent CMC and the thermodynamics of micellization ( G0m, H 0 m, S 0 m ). The surfactant–cobalt(III) complexes were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against various microorganisms. The results were compared with the standard drugs, ciprofloxacin and fluconazole respectively. The surfactant– cobalt(III) complexes showed good antimicrobial activity against gram positive and gram negative bacteria and fungi. Thus our results show that the surfactant–copper(III) complexes can also be considered for antifungal and antibiotic drugs.