The optical properties of a series of side chain liquid crystalline polymers (P1-P3) containing azo-benzothiazole mesogen with different terminal substituents (-H, -CH3 and -OCH2CH3) in four organic solvents of varying polarity have been investigated by absorption and fluorescence spectral analysis. Solvatochromic studies of P1-P3 did not show any regular variation on the absorption and emission intensities with changing the polarity of solvent. Theoretical studies were performed based on different solvent correlation methods such as Dimroth-Reichardt and Kamlet-Taft methods to investigate the solute-solvent interactions. Both absorption and emission maxima of investigated polymers were bathochromically shifted with the replacement of sixth position hydrogen atom by electron donating groups in benzothiazole moiety. The emission intensities of the studied polymers showed decreasing trend with increasing temperature.
A Schiff base bearing two methyl substituents, namely, 6,6'-((1E,1'E)-((2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diyl) bis(azanylylidene)) bis(methanylylidene)) bis(2-methylphenol) [H2AD1Me] was synthesized and characterized through physicochemical and spectroscopic analyses. Then, the Schiff base was complexed with Pd(II) and Ni(II) to form [Pd(AD1Me)] and [Ni(AD1Me)], respectively. Both metal complexes were successfully obtained and characterized through several analyses, viz., melting point, elemental analysis, molar conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, FTIR, 1H NMR, UV-vis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. A quantitative analysis of the intermolecular interactions in the crystal structures has been performed using Hirshfeld surface analysis. Both metal complexes were crystallized in a monoclinic crystal system with the space group of P21/c. Additionally, the deprotonated phenolic oxygen atom (O1/O2) and azomethine nitrogen atom (N1/N2) of the ligand chelate the Pd(II) and Ni(II) ions, forming a slightly distorted square-planar complex containing three six-membered rings encircling the metal core with dsp2 hybridization. The shift of ν(C=N) to a higher frequency in FTIR by 26-28 cm-1 indicated that the complexation to Pd(II) and Ni(II) through the azomethine N was established. It was further supported through the shifting of the azomethine proton signal to higher or lower chemical shifts with Δδ = 0.43-1.15 ppm in 1H NMR. In addition, the shifting of the n-π*(C=N) band in UV-vis spectra with Δλ = 24-40 nm indicated the involvement of azomethine nitrogen in the complexation. All the compounds showed no significant antibacterial activity against three bacterial strains, namely, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (ATCC 6538), Streptococcus mutans Clarke (ATCC 700,610), and Proteus vulgaris (ATCC 6380), as the percent growth inhibition calculated was less than 90%.