The reaction of the Schiff bases (obtained by condensing isatin with o‐aminophenol/o‐aminothiophenol/o‐aminobenzoic acid) with [RuX3(EPh3)3] (where X = Cl/Br; E = P/As) in benzene afforded new, air‐stable Ru(III) complexes of the general formula [Ru(L)X(EPh3)2] (L = dianion of tridentate Schiff bases). In all these reactions, the Schiff base ligand replaces one triphenylphosphine/triphenylarsine and
Air stable Ni(II) Schiff base complexes viz. [Ni(L1)(PPh3)] and [Ni(L2)(PPh3)] [where L1 and L2 are dianions of Schiff base ligands, respectively] have been synthesized and characterized by analytical and spectral (electronic, FT-IR, 1H, 13C and 31P NMR) methods. The assignment of all the aromatic carbon-hydrogen resonances is made on the basis of 1H-13C HSQC spectrum of the complexes. The Schiff base ligands behave as a bibasic tridentate ligands and bonded through ONO and ONS mode. A square planar structure has been proposed on the basis of spectral data. Novel Ni(II) Schiff base complexes exhibited good antimicrobial activity towards the strains Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli. Thermal and air stability of the complexes offer the advantage of oxidation of alcohols.