Three complexes, Zn(C 40 H 36 N 4 O 8 )Á3CH 3 OH (1), Ni(C 40 H 36 N 4 O 8 )Á3CH 3 OH (2) and Co(C 40 H 36 N 4 O 8 )Á3CH 3 OH (3), with a sexidentate (N 2 O 4 ) symmetric bis-Schiff base ligand (C 40 H 36 N 4 O 8 = 1,2-bis(2-methoxy-6-formylphenoxy) ethane-L-tryptophan) have been synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The X-ray crystal structures show that the metal atoms of three complexes are all six-coordinated by two nitrogens from C=N groups, two oxygens from ether groups and two carboxylic oxygens in the mono-ligand, forming a distorted octahedral geometry. The complexes were screened as photocatalysts for the degradation of methylene blue, rhodamine B and methyl violet. All three complexes proved to be good candidates for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue and complexes 2-3 are also good photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B. The mechanism of these photocatalytic degradations is discussed.