A novel non-symmetrical polydentate Schiff base ligand 3-({2-[(1-methyl-3-oxobut-1-enyl)amino]ethyl}imino)-butan-2-one oxime (H 2 L) comprising an oxime function among various donor sites yields neutral [Ni II L] and [Cu II L] complexes. The structural determination of [NiL] confirms the deprotonation of the oxime function. The deprotonated oxime oxygen atom can react with auxiliary complexes to give homo-and hetero-di-and tri-nuclear entities. The structural determination of a homodinuclear copper complex clearly shows the presence of the expected oxime bridge, along with an unexpected ketonic bridge between the two copper centres leading to a Cu[O,NO]Cu core. A moderate antiferromagnetic interaction is present in the di-and tri-nuclear copper complexes. A similar interaction is also observed in the heteronuclear complexes (Cu II Ni II and Cu II Mn II ) and, more surprisingly, in the heterodinuclear Cu II Cr III entity. A generalization of the Cu [O,NO]Cu structure leads to a justification of these magnetic properties.In search of new polydentate bridging ligands we have been interested in designing a ligand (H 2 L, Fig. 1) which comprises an oxime function among various donor sites.Indeed it has been known for more than twenty years that oximato groups (᎐ ᎐ N᎐O Ϫ ) can bridge metal ions through their imino nitrogen and deprotonated oxygen atoms. Very generally double oximato bridges or association of a single N᎐O bridge with a second bridging ligand are involved in the resulting bi-or poly-nuclear complexes. Many types of homo-and heteropolynuclear complexes 1-15 have been obtained and magnetic investigations have revealed a great variety of behaviours, strong antiferromagnetism, weak antiferromagnetism and even ferromagnetism. It may be noted that singlet-triplet energy gaps of the order of 1000 cm Ϫ1 have been reported for oximato bridged dinuclear copper() complexes in which the double oximato bridge adopts the cis conformation. 3,10,11The present paper reports on the preparation, characterization and magnetic study of mononuclear Cu II and Ni II , dinuclear complexes involving the Cu II Cu II , Cu II Ni II and Cu II Cr III pairs and trinuclear complexes Cu II Cu II Cu II , Cu II Zn II Cu II and Cu II Mn II Cu II deriving from H 2 L. The structures of a mononuclear [NiL] precursor and a homodinuclear Cu II 2 complex are also reported.