Synthesis, spectroscopic, thermal and antimicrobial investigations of charge-transfer complexes formed from the drug procaine hydrochloride with quinol, picric acid and TCNQ

Intermolecular charge-transfer or proton-transfer complexes between the drug procaine hydrochloride (PC-HCl) as a donor and quinol (QL), picric acid (PA) or 7,7′,8,8′-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) as a π-acceptor have been synthesized and spectroscopically studied in methanol at room temperature. Based on elemental analyses and photometric titrations, the stoichiometry of the complexes (donor:acceptor molar ratios) was determined to be 1:1 for all three complexes. The formation constant (KCT), molar extinction coefficient (εCT) and other spectroscopic data have been determined using the Benesi–Hildebrand method and its modifications. The newly synthesized CT complexes have been characterized via elemental analysis, IR, Raman, 1H NMR, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. The morphological features of these complexes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the sharp, well-defined Bragg reflections at specific 2θ angles have been identified from the powder X-ray diffraction patterns. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGAs) and kinetic thermodynamic parameters were also used to investigate the thermal stability of the synthesized solid CT complexes. Finally, the CT complexes were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal activities against various bacterial and fungal strains, and only the complex obtained using picric acid exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against all of the tested strains.