695-700New pentadentate schiff bases containing N2O3 coordination sites have been prepared in two steps. In the first step, the ligand half-unit is obtained by condensing 1-(o-hydroxyphenyl)butane-1,3-dione and 1,2-diaminoethane, which is condensed in the second step with a bidentate aromatic aldehyde or ketone such as o-hydroxyacetophenone, salicylaldehyde, or 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde to obtain the schiff bases. These ligands react with transition metals to yield mono-, bi- and tri-nuclear complexes