Methyl aceto acetate when reacted with phenyl hydrazine in the presence of conc.HCl, Methyl-3-(2- phenylhydrazono) butanoate (MPB) was formed. The product was characterized by elemental analysis and spectral studies. The chelates of transition metal ions viz. Cu2+, Ni2+ , Co2+ , Mn2+ and Zn2+ of MPB were prepared and characterized by metal-ligand (M:L) ratio, IR and reflectance spectroscopies and magnetic properties. The antifungal activity of MPB and its metal chelates was screened against various fungi. The results show that all these samples are good antifungal agents.
