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Σύνθεση και μελέτη συμπλόκων νικελίου και ψευδαργύρου με υποκαταστάτες την κουρκουμίνη (Bachelor thesis)

Μαλέρου, Χαρίκλεια/ Malerou, Charikleia

The study and synthesis of metal complexes with natural organic compounds has gained significant scientific interest, both in terms of chemical behavior and potential applications in modern synthetic and bioinorganic chemistry. For this reason, this study examined the creation of nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) complexes with curcumin, which acts as a ligand through its ketone and phenolic groups. The synthesis of these different complexes focused on the study and influence of the deprotonation stage of curcumin on its chelation, through the addition of a base, and their structural and spectroscopic investigation, with the aim of understanding the nature of the metal-ligand bond, the geometry of the compounds, and the properties resulting from complexation. The techniques used to characterize and identify the complexes included TLC, FTIR, UV-Vis, and ¹H-NMR, and demonstrated that only the zinc complex with curcumin and the acetate groups of the dihydrate salt Zn(CH₃COO)₂·2H₂O using a base was successfully formed, while in alternative experimental approaches, the resulting product did not correspond to the intended one, highlighting the important contribution of curcumin deprotonation in the complex formation process. Nevertheless, future research on the successfully formed zinc-curcumin complex will aim to improve the efficiency of the synthesis by modifying the reaction conditions, using alternative sources of zinc, and investigating formation with a 1:2 ratio (metal:curcumin), and then testing it in antimicrobial and antibacterial applications. Correspondingly, for the nickel-curcumin complex, further experimental study is planned with differentiation of environmental conditions, use of different nickel sources and alternative bases for the deprotonation of curcumin, with the aim of improving the stability and efficiency of the formation. In addition, X-ray crystallography will be performed on crystals isolated from one of the complexes produced to clarify their structure