A new hydrazonic Schiff base ligand, 2-pyridinecarbaldehyde-(2′-aminosulfonylbenzoyl)hydrazone (HL), has been prepared and characterized, and its coordinative properties were studied. [ML 2 ] complexes, M=Co, Ni, Cu, Zn or Cd have been synthesised by electrochemical oxidation of the anodic metal in a cell containing an acetonitrile solution of the ligand. The compounds obtained have been characterized by microanalysis, IR, NMR and UV–Vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and also by X-ray diffraction. The structural studies show that the metal is in a distorted octahedral environment with the monoanionic ligand acting as a meridional tridentate (N,N,O) chelate system.