The new multidentate Schiff-base (E)-6,6′-((1E,1′E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azan-1-yl-1-ylidene))bis(methan-1-yl-ylidene))bis(4-methyl-2-((E)(pyridine-2-ylmethylimino)methyl)phenol) H2L and its polymeric binuclear metal complexes with Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) are reported. The reaction of 2,6-diformyl-4-methyl-phenol with ethylenediamine in mole ratios of 2:1 gave the precursor 3,3′-(1E,1′E)-(ethane-1,2-diylbis(azan-1-yl-1ylidene))bis(methan-1-yl-1-ylidene)bis(2-hydroxy-5-methylbenzaldehyde) W. Condensation of the precursor with 2-(amino-methyl)pyridine in mole ratios of 1:2 gave the new N6O2 multidentate Schiff-base ligand H2L. Upon complex formation, the ligand behaves as a dibasic octadentate species with the involvement of the nitrogen atoms of the pyridine groups in coordination for all complexes. The mode of bonding and overall geometry of the complexes were determined through physico-chemical and spectroscopic methods. These studies revealed octahedral geometries for Cr(III), Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes of general formulae [Cr III 2 (L)Cl2]Cl2, [Ni II 2 (L)(H2O)2]Cl2 and [M2(L)Cl2] and five co-ordinate Zn(II) complex of general formula [Zn II 2 (L)]Cl2.
