3.1. Synthesis of "2,5-dimethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethylene-benzene-1,4-diamine "(L1a)
pyridine-2-carbaldehyde (9.3 mmol,1 g) was dissolved in methanol (30 mL), then it was slowly added with stirring to as solution of 2,5-dimethyl-benzene-1,4-diamine (4.66 mmol,0.635 g) in methanol (40 mL). The produced mixture was refluxed at 70°C for 3hrs. The solvent was then eliminated by vacuum, yielding a yellow-brown solid product [17]. The product was washed tree times with 4 ml of acetone, and then dried under vacuum, resulting in “2,5-dimethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethylene-benzene-1, 4-diamine” with yield (0.79 g), 53.88% and melting point (M.P.) = 172.9 oC (Scheme 1).
1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 8.74 (dd, J = 6, and 3 Hz, 2H, py-6); 8.55 (s, 2H, methylene); 8.21 (d, J = 6 Hz, 2H, py-3); 8.00 (td, J = 6, and 3Hz, 2H, py-4); 7.56 (m, 2H, py-5); 7.12 (s, 2H, phenyl); 2.35 (s, 6H, methyl). 13C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 159.15, 154.24, 149.63, 147.55, 137.01, 130.74, 125.48, 121.12, 119.43, and 17.17. FT-IR (solid state): = 3051 (w), 3006 (w), 2976 (w), 2905 (w), 1625 (m), 1582 (m), 1563 (m), 1434 (m), and 774 (s) cm -1. ESI-MS: m/z 315.16{M+H}+, calculated (314.15). Elemental microanalysis: C 75.80, H 5.80, and N 18.00 (%), calculated for C20H18N4: C 76.41; H 5.77; and N 17.82 (%).
3.2 Synthesis of the ligand" 2,5-dimethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-benzene-1,4-diamine" (L1b)
A solution of NaOH (78 mmol,3g) was gradually added to (4.7 mmol, 1.5 g) compound (L1a) in (300 mL) of methanol at the ambient temperature. The obtained mixture was stirred for 10hrs. After the reaction was ended, the solvent was eliminated using vacuum. This material was then dissolved in (300 mL) of deionized water, with the addition of 1 M hydrochloric acid solution (HCl). Next, the reaction pH was set to 10 utilizing an aqueous solution of NaOH. As a result of these steps, the compound was separated from the alkaline solution through sedimentation, then filtration and washing with deionized water (4 times, 100 mL each time) were performed and finally dried under vacuum[17]. This process yielded (0.93 g ) 61.22%, of L1b, and M.P.=155 °C. (Scheme 1).
1H NMR (DMSO-d6) δ= 8.74 (dd, J = 6, and 3 Hz, 2H, py-6); 8.55 (s, 2H, methylene); 8.21 (d, J = 6 Hz, 2H, py-3); 8.00 (td, J = 6, and 3Hz, 2H, py-4); 7.56 (m, 2H, py-5); 7.12 (s, 2H, phenyl); 2.35 (s, 6H, methyl). 13C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 159.15, 154.24, 149.63, 147.55, 137.01, 130.74, 125.48, 121.12, 119.43, and 17.17. FT. IR (solid state): = 3051 (w), 3006 (w), 2976 (w), 2905 (w), 1625 (m), 1582 (m), 1563 (m), 1434 (m), and 774 (s) cm -1. ESI-MS: m/z 315.16{M+H}+, calculated (314.15). Elemental microanalysis: C 75.80; H 5.80; and N 18.00 (%), calculated for C20H18N4: C 76.41; H 5.77; and N 17.82 (%).
3.3 Synthesis of the ligand" 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethylene-benzene-1,4-diamine" (L2a) pyridine-2-carbaldehyde (9.3 mmol, 1g) in methanol (30mL) was added dropwise to a stirred solution of "2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-benzene-1,4- Diamine"(4.67 mmol, 0.7663 g) in methanol (40 mL). This mixture was refluxed for 3hrs at 70°C. After the reaction was ended, the solvent was eliminated using vacuum, resulting in a yellow-brown solid material[17]. This resulted product was then washed (for three times) by acetone (3 ml), and then dried under vacuum, yielding 1.02 g of ligand (L2a), 63.86% and M.p= 243 °C. Scheme 2 shows synthesis ligand L2a.
1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 8.75 (d, J = 3 Hz, 2H, py-6); 8.35 (d, J = 6 Hz, 2H, py-3); 7.90 (t, J = 9, and 6Hz, 2H, py-4), 7.45 (m, 2H, py-5); 7.28 (s, 2H, methylene), and 1.69 (s, 12H, methyl). 13C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 163.80, 154.67, 149.63, 147.27, 136.69, 125.20, 123.47, 121.18, and 15.01. FT. IR (solid state): = 3078 (w), 3050 (w), 2985 (w), 2955 (w), 2903 (w), 1633 (s), 1583 (m), 1562 (m), 1436 (m), 1401(s), and 776 (s) cm-1. ESI-MS: m/z 343.1939{M+H}+, calculated (342.18). Elemental microanalysis: C 76.93; H 6.56; and N 16.23 (%), calculated for C22H22N4: C 77.16; H 6.48; and N 16.36 (%).
3.4 Synthesis of " 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-N,N'-bis-pyridin-2-ylmethyl-benzene-1,4-diamine" (L2b)
Sodium borohydride (3 g,78 mmol) was slowly mixed with a solution of ligand L2 (1 g, 2.9 mmol) in methanol(300 mL) at the ambient temperature with stirring. The resulted mixture was kept stirred for 10 hrs. A Vacuum was utilized to remove the solvent. The obtained powder-solid material was dissolved in deionized water (250 mL), and a solution (HCl, 1M) was then added. A Solution of ( NaOH 2M) was then added to raise the pH of the reaction resulting in a precipitated ligand. the produced ligand was filtered and washed four times by deionized water (100 mL) before it was left to dry by vacuum[17]. Yield: (0.71 g, 70.22 %) of (L2b) and m.p= 111.5ºC. Scheme 2 shows synthesis of ligands (L2a and L2b). 1H NMR (300 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 8.56 (d, J= 3 Hz, 2H, py-6), 7.80 (td, J= 9, and 6 Hz, 2H, py-4), 7.47 (d, J= 9 Hz, 2H, py-3), 7.31 (m, 2H, py-5): 4.16 (s, 2H, amine), 3.99 (s, 4H, -CH2-), and 2.17 (s, 12H, -CH3). 13C NMR (75 MHz, DMSO-d6) δ: 159.41, 148.77, 141.08, 136.52, 127.51, 122.09, 122.00, 54.43, and 17.78. FT-IR (solid state): (cm-1) 3356 (m), 3054 (w), 3007 (w), 2943 (w), 2900 (w), 2794 (w), 1593(m), 1567(m), 1435(s), 1419 (s), 1370(m), 1093(m), and 758 (s). ESI-MS: m/z 347.22 {M+H}+ (calc. 346.22). Microanalysis: C 74.72; H 7.27; N 16.09 (%), calculated for C22H26N4: C 76.27; H 7.56; N 16.17 (%).