Keywords: Chain structures / X-ray diffraction / Magnetic properties / N ligands / O ligandsOne-dimensional chain derivatives of the general formula [M(acac) 2 (µ-bipyridine)] were obtained from (acetylacetonato)cobalt(II) or (trifluoromethylacetylacetonato)copper(II) derivatives and bipyridine-like bridging ligands: 1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethane, 4,4Ј-bpa (1, Co; 2, Cu), trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene, 4,4Ј-bpe (3, Co; 4, Cu), 1,2-bis(2-pyridyl)ethylene, 2,2Ј-bpe (5, Co) or pyrazine (7, Cu). The reaction of the copper parent derivative with 2,2Ј-bpe gives rise, however, to a dimeric species [{Cu(tfacac) 2 } 2 (µ-2,2Ј-bpe)] (6). Derivatives 4-7 were characterized by X-ray crystallography, which showed linear (4, 7) or zigzag chains (5), depending on the bipyridine ligand shape. In the chain complexes, the metal centre is six-coordinate; the oxygen donor atoms of the ace-