Dedicated to Professor Andre E. Merbach on the occasion of his 65th birthdayThe kinetics and the mechanism of the cyanide-induced demetallation of a series of Ni 2 complexes with macrocyclic ligands of different ring size (12-to 14-membered; see 1 ± 4) and steric constraints was studied. Although the rates differ by almost five orders of magnitude when compared to each other under fixed experimental conditions (pH 10.5, [CN À ] 10 À2 m), all reactions proceed through the relatively rapid formation of cyano adducts [Ni(CN) n L] (n 1, 2), which then react with additional CN À or HCN to give the final products. Of paramount importance for the reaction rate is the geometry and configuration of the cyano adducts [Ni(CN) n L] (n 1,2). cis-Dicyano derivatives with a folded macrocycle react faster than trans-compounds. In the case of (1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)2 ), which gives a trans-dicyano adduct, the base-catalyzed N-inversion necessary to obtain the cis-dicyano derivative becomes rate determining at high CN À concentrations.