Characterization of thermally induced mechanisms by mass spectrometry-evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS): A study of divalent cobalt and zinc biomimetic complexes with N-heterocyclic dicarboxylic ligands

Mass spectrometry evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS) was applied to characterize cobalt and zinc biomimetic complexes with a polycarboxylate ligand, imidazole-4,5-dicarboxylic acid (H(2)imdc). The precipitated Co(Himdc)(2)(H2O)(2) and Zn(Himdc)(2)(H2O)(2) complexes were studied to determine their thermal stability and to prove their decomposition mechanism by evolved gas analysis (EGA-MS). The results confirmed that the decomposition mechanism, already proposed for the analog copper and nickel complexes, can be assumed as representative for these structures, independently from the central coordinating metal. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.