The Schiff base between trans-(1R,2R)-1,2-cyclohexanediamine and 2 mol of 2-hydroxyacetophenone has been used as a ligand for nickel(II). The coordination compound has been studied by NMR, UV-Vis absorption and circular dichroism spectroscopy in solution. The crystal structure of the N,N'-(1R,2R)-(-)-1,2-cyclohexylenebis(2-hydroxyacetophenonylideneiminato)nic kel(II) complex ([Ni(R,R)-chxn(hapi) 2 ]) was determined by the X-ray diffraction method. The molecule has an umbrella geometry, the dihedral angle between the planes defined by the two acetophenonylideneimine moieties of the ligand is 43.5(1) o . The Ni(II) atom is situated in a slightly distorted square-planar environment. The Ni O distances vary from 1.811(4) to 1.824(4) 9 and Ni N distances are 1.857(5) and 1.873(5) 9. The cyclohexane ring of the Schiff base is in the chair conformation. Both the cyclohexane ring chiral carbon atoms C11 and C16 are positioned on the same side of the coordination NiN 2 O 2 plane, the distances to the best plane being -0.849 and -0.303 9, respectively. The crystal data and nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) experiment revealed interaction of the methyl group with protons from cyclohexyl methine and methylene and phenyl hydrogens, both in the crystal and solution.