BACKGROUND: OXIDATIVE CLEAVAGE OF CINNAMALDEHYDE UNDER MILD AND CLEAN REACTION CONDITIONS IS SIGNIFICANT FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF NATURAL BENZALDEHYDE [1]. CINNAMALDEHYDE IS HIGHLY REACTIVE FOR OXIDATION. HOWEVER, ORGANIC SOLVENT, TRANSITION METAL BASED CATALYST AND STRONG OXIDANT WERE NECESSARY FOR THE REACTION, WHICH RESULTED IN SOME PROBLEMS. THEREFORE, IT IS IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP A GENERALLY APPLICABLE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN OXIDATIVE PROCESS FOR NATURAL BENZALDEHYDE PRODUCTION.METHODS: ALL REACTIONS WERE PERFORMED IN A 50 ML GLASS REACTION FLASK EQUIPPED WITH ACONDENSER. IN A TYPICAL RUN, 0.01 G PT-NI/ALUMINA WAS SUSPENDED IN 25 ML DEIONIZED WATER AT 333 K; THEN, 1000ML CINNAMALDEHYDE IN METHANOL WAS ADDED WHILE STIRRING. FINALLY, 3 ML HYDROGEN PEROXIDE WAS SLOWLY ADDED TO THE REACTION FLASK. THE CONSUMPTION OF THE STARTING CINNAMALDEHYDE WAS MONITORED BY HPLC INSTRUMENT.RESULTS: OXIDATION OF CINNAMALDEHYDE IN AQUEOUS MEDIA FOLLOWS QUASI-FIRST ORDER KINETICS (FIGURE 1).

BACKGROUND: SCHIFF BASES ARE CONSIDERED AS A VERY IMPORTANT CLASS OF ORGANIC COMPOUNDS WHICH HAVE WIDE APPLICATION IN MANY BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS. SOME SCHIFF BASES WERE REPORTED TO POSSES ANTIBACTERIAL, ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTITUMOR ACTIVITIES [1]. THE TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES WITH SCHIFF BASES AS LIGANDS ARE OF PARAMOUNT SCIENTIFIC INTEREST, DUE TO THEIR MULTIPLE IMPLICATIONS [2].THESE COMPLEXES PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DEVELOPING OF COORDINATION CHEMISTRY RELATED TO CATALYSIS AND ENZYMATIC REACTIONS, MAGNETISM AND MOLECULAR ARCHITECTURES AS WELL AS FOR LIQUID-CRYSTAL TECHNOLOGY [3].METHODS: SCHIFF BASE LIGAND WAS SYNTHESIZED FROM REACTION OF 2-HYDROXYBENZALDEHYDE AND CINNAMALDEHYDE AND AMMONIUM ACETATE HAVE IN 1: 1: 1 RATIOS AND CHARACTERIZED BY PHYSICAL AND SPECTRAL STUDIES. COMPLEXES OF THIS SCHIFF BASE LIGAND WITH M (II) TRANSITION METAL SALTS HAVE BEEN PREPARED AND CHARACTERIZED.RESULTS: WHEN THE ABOVE MENTIONED REACTION WAS PERFORMED IN THE PRESENCE OF A BASE, THE REACTION WAS REMARKABLY ENHANCED, GIVING AN EXCELLENT YIELD OF THE DESIRED PRODUCT. THE FT-IR SPECTRUM OF LIGAND IS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FORMATION OF DOUBLE SCHIFF BASE. THE C=O STRETCHING FREQUENCIES OF 2- HYDROXYBENZALDEHYDE AND CINNAMALDEHYDE WHICH ARE OBSERVED AT 1694 AND 1678 CM-1 RESPECTIVELY ARE ABSENT IN THE SPECTRUM OF LIGAND AND C=N FREQUENCY OF THE SCHIFF BASE HAS APPEARED AT 1665 CM-1. COORDINATION OF THE METAL CENTERS TO LIGAND CAN BE CONFIRMED FOR ALL THE COMPLEXES DUE TO SHIFTS IN THE STRETCHING FREQUENCIES OF THE FT-IR SPECTRUM OF THE COMPLEXES COMPARE TO THE LIGANDS. IN THE SPECTRUM OF THE PREPARED COMPLEXES ALL THE C=N FREQUENCIES OF THE AZOMETHINE HAVE SHIFTED BY 5-10 CM-1.CONCLUSION: ALL THE RESULTS INDICATE THE RELIABILITY AND APPLICABILITY OF THIS LIGAND TO BE USED FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF PLANT GROWTH REGULATE ACTIVITY

DITHIOCARBAMATE COMPLEXES CONTINUE TO ATTRACT ATTENTION FOR THEIR ABILITY TO STABILIZE TRANSITION METALS IN A VARIETY OF OXIDATION STATES AND A DEVELOPING INTEREST IN THIS CASE IS PRODUCING OF THE DITHIOCARBAMATE SUBSTITUENTS...