Department of Chemistry. University of Calieut. Calient-673 635 Matausoript received 15 March 1990, revised 1 April 1991, accepted 8 April 1991 The reaction of CoII, NIII, CuII , ZnII. CdII and HgII salts with 3,4-dimethoxy­benzaldehyde thiosemicarbazone (LH) in mixed alcohol-water or absolute alcohol yielded complexes of different stoichiometries. Their elemental analyses conduc­tance, magnetic and electronic, ir and 1H nmr spectral data revealed that the ligand coordinates with the metal ion either as anionic bidentate one (chiolate anion L-)coordinating through the azomethine nitrogen and thioenol sulphur atoms or as neutral bidentate one (LH) coordinating through the azomethine nitrogen and thioketo sulphur atoms. The present ligand reduces Cull salts to CuI which forms complex.