A series of complexes of the type (C6Fs)CoL4B with tetradentate ligands (L4 = acacen (N,N'-ethylene-bis acetylacetoneiminate dianion), mesalen (N,N'-ethylene-bis-7, 7'-dimethylsalicylideneiminate dianion); B -= H~O, NHs,py,ba, pip,3 monoanion), B = = Br, I, CN) has been studied, using TG and DTA methods to obtain information concerning the decomposition mechanism and the influence of the ligands on the thermal stabilities of cobalt-carbon and cobalt-axial base bond.The elimination of the axial base leads to the formation of pentacoordinate complexes (C6Fs)CoL 4 (when L 4 = acacen, mesalen) and their subsequent decomposition involves cobalt-carbon bond rupture to form COL4. In contrast, the latter reaction occurs first when the tetradentate ligand is dotnH.It has been observed that the stability of the cobalt-carbon bond is related to the nature of the equatorial ligands, and decreases in the order: mesalen > acaceni> dotnH.Many organometallic complexes of cobalt(III) with Schiff bases have been described, and numerous data concerning their preparation, structure and chemical behaviour are known [1,2].However, the thermal behaviour of this type of complex is almost unknown, because systematic~thermal analysis has not been carried out and only qualitative observations have been described.As regards the several organic substituents used, the 7r-acceptor capacity or the higher electronegativity of the group C6F5 leads to stabilization of the metal-carbon bond and the complexes containing this substituent can be more easily studied.Following our work on organometallic complexes of the perfluoro organic group C6F5, we have recently described [3 -5] complexes of the type (C6F~)CoL4B, La being the tetradentate acacen and mesalen dianions or the dotnH monoanion, and B a Lewis base. These complexes are all octahedral, with the tetradentate ligand occupying the four equatorial positions and the base B and the C~F 5 group situated in the two trans axial positions. They are particularly appropriate for the study of simple processes such as the breaking of the cobalt-carbon and the cobaltaxial base bonds, as the intermediate products are sufficiently stable to be observed.