A study of the formation constants of ternary and quaternary complexes of some bivalent transition metals

The formation of hetero-ligand 1:1:1, M(II)-Opda-Sal/Gly ternary and 1:1:1:1, M(II)-Opda-Sal-Gly quaternary complexes, where M(II) = Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd; Opda = o-phenylenediamine, Sal = salicylic acid, Gly = glycine, was studied pH-metrically in aqueous medium. The formation constants for the resulting ternary and quaternary complexes were evaluated at a constant ionic strength, ? = 0.20 mol dm-3 and temperature, 30?0.1 ?C. The order of the formation constants in terms of the metal ion for both type of complexes was found to be Cu(II) > Ni(II) > Zn(II) > Cd(II). This order was explained based on the increasing number of fused rings, the coordination number of the metal ions, the Irving - William order and the stability of various species. The expected species formed in solution were pruned with the Fortran IV program SPEPLOT and the stability of the ternary and quaternary complexes is explained.