Copper or nickel complexes of ligands containing an azomethine, semicarbozone or hydrazone moiety

A transition metal complex of a ligand compound of the formula ##STR63## or mixtures thereof in which

• A is phenyl, biphenyl, naphthyl or anthraquinonyl;
• or is phenyl substituted by halogen, phenyl, phenylazo, carboxy, --CF.sub.3, --NO.sub.2, --CN, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --CONH.sub.2, --SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2, --CONHR.sub.4, --COOR.sub.5, --NHCOR.sub.6 or --SO.sub.2 NHR.sub.4, R.sub.4 being C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, --CF.sub.3, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --NO.sub.2, --CN, --CONH.sub.2, --SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2, --CONHC.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, --CONHC.sub.6 H.sub.5, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -alkoxycarbonyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -N-alkylcarbonyl, --NHCOC.sub.6 H.sub.5, --SO.sub.2 NHC.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or --SO.sub.2 NHC.sub.6 H.sub.5, R.sub.5 being C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, benzyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -alkoxycarbonyl or C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -N-alkylcarbamoyl and R.sub.6 being C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --NO.sub.2, or C.sub.2 - C.sub.5 --N--alkylcarbamoyl;
• or A is benzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-methylbenzimidazolon-5-yl;
• 1-n-butylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-phenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-chlorophenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-methylphenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-methoxyphenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-chlorobenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-bromobenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-methylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-methoxybenzimidazolon-5-yl, benzoxazolon-6-yl, benzoxazolon-5-yl, 7-chlorobenzoxazolon-5-yl, 5-chlorobenzoxazolon-6-yl, 5-methylbenzoxazolon-6-yl, 5-chlorobenzothiazolon-6-yl, 5-methylbenzothiazolon-6-yl, quinazol-4-on-6-yl, 2-methylquinazol-4-on-6-yl, 2-methoxyquinazol-4-on-6-yl, 7-chloro-2-methylquinazol-4-on-6-yl, quinazol-4-on-7-yl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)phenyl, 3-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)phenyl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)-3-methoxyphenyl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)-3-chlorophenyl, 3-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl) 4-methylphenyl, 2,4-dihyroquinazolin-6-yl, phenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, phenmorphol-3-on-6-yl, 6-chlorophenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, 6-methylphenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, 6-methoxyphenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, quinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methylquinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methylquinol-2-on-7-yl, 4,6-dimethylquinol-2-on-7-yl, 7-chloro-4-methylquinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methyl-6-methoxyquinol-2-on-7-yl, 1,3-dihydroxyisoquinolin-6-yl, 2,4-dihydroxyquinolin-6-yl, 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxalin-6-yl or phthalimid-4-yl,
• R is --H, halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy,
• R.sub.1 is --H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --NO.sub.2, --CONH.sub.2, --CONHR.sub.2 or C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -N-alkylcarbamoyl, and
• B is --H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, --NHCONH.sub.2, --NHCONH--C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, --NHCONHR.sub.2, --NHCSNH.sub.2, --NHCSR.sub.3, --NHC(NH)NH.sub.2, --NHR.sub.2, --NHCOR.sub.3, --NHSO.sub.2 R.sub.3, or B is benzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-methylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-n-butylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-phenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-chlorophenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-methylphenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 1-p-methoxyphenylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-chlorobenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-bromobenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-methylbenzimidazolon-5-yl, 6-methoxybenzimidazolon-5-yl, benzoxazolon-6-yl, benzoxazolon-5-yl, 7-chlorobenzoxazolon-5-yl, 5-chlorobenzoxazolon-6-yl, 5-methylbenzoxazolon-6-yl, 5-chlorobenzothiazolon-6-yl, 5-methylbenzothiazolon-6-yl, quinazol-4-on-6-yl, 2-methylquinazol-4-on-6-yl, 2-methoxyquinazol-4-on-6-yl, 7-chloro-2-methylquinazol-4-on-6-yl, quinazol-4-on-7-yl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)phenyl, 3-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)phenyl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)-3-methoxyphenyl, 4-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl)-3-chlorophenyl, 3-(quinazol-4-on-2-yl) 4-methylphenyl, 2,4-dihydroquinazolin-6-yl, phenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, phenmorphol-3-on-6-yl, 6-chlorophenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, 6-methylphenmorphol-3-on-7-yl, 6-methoxyphenmorphol-3-on-7-yl quinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methylquinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methylquinol-2-on-7-yl, 4,6-dimethylquinol-2-on-7-yl, 7-chloro-4-methylquinol-2-on-6-yl, 4-methyl-6-methoxyquinol-2-on-7-yl, 1,3-dihydroxyisoquinolin-6-yl, 2,4-dihyroxyquinolin-6-yl, 2,3-dihydroxyquinoxalin-6-yl or phthalimid-4-yl,
• R.sub.2 being phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, --CF.sub.3, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --NO.sub.2, --CN, --CONH.sub.2, --SO.sub.2 NH.sub.2 ' --CONHC.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, --CONHC.sub.6 H.sub.5, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -alkoxycarbonyl, phenoxycarbonyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -N-alkylcarbamoyl, --NHCOC.sub.6 H.sub.5 or --SO.sub.2 NHC.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl or --SO.sub.2 NHC.sub.6 H.sub.5, and
• R.sub.3 being phenyl which is unsubstituted or substituted by halogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy, --NO.sub.2, C.sub.2 -C.sub.5 -N-alkylcarbamoyl, or --NHCOC.sub.6 H.sub.5 ;
• or R.sub.3 is 2-furylcarbonyl, 2-thiophenylcarbonyl, 2-pyrrolylcarbonyl, 2-pyridylcarbonyl, 3-pyridylcarbonyl, 4-pyridylcarbonyl, 2-pyrazinylcarbonyl, 2-indolylcarbonyl or 4-quinolylcarbonyl, and
• the transition metal is a doubly positively charged metal ion of copper or nickel.