Iron(III) complexes of a quadridentate N2S2 donor ligand, 1,2-di(o-aminophenylthio)ethane (DAPTE) and its Schiff Base with salicylaldehyde, a hexadentate

N2S2O2 donor ligand,viz. 1,2-di(osalicylaldiminophenylthio)ethane (H2DSALPTE) have been synthesised and characterised. The Schiff base ligand (1 mol) gave a dark green tri-iron(III) [Fe3(DSALPTE) (HDSALPTE)Cl3]Cl2 complex when reacted with anhydrous iron(III) chloride (1 mol). The Mssbauer data of this complex suggest the presence of three iron sites, one of which is octahedral and the other two tetrahedral. On the other hand, Fe(ClO4)3 reacted smoothly with H2DSALPTE in ethanol to give a mononuclear pseudo-octahedral complex in which the ligand functions in a dibasic hexadentate fashion. Mssbauer data suggest the presence of a low-spin-high-spin equilibrium in the solid state. The manganese(III) and cobalt(III) complexes of the Schiff base, H2DSALPTE, are also studied for the sake of comparison with the corresponding iron(III) complex. The N2S2 ligand, however, formed a low-spin pseudo-octahedral iron(III) complex. The complexes have been characterised by elemental analysis, molar conductance values, cryomagnetic data and i.r., electronic and Mssbauer spectral data.