The new N,N,O-tridentate ligand 6-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-2,2â ²-bipyridine (HL) has been prepared in 41% yield overall by reaction of 2-lithioanisole with 2,2â ²-bipyridine, followed by rearomatisation with KMnO4 and subsequent conversion of the anisole group to a phenol with pyridinium hydrochloride. Complexes with Co^III, Ni^II and Cu^II have been prepared, which possess different structures and metal:ligand ratios. The structure of [CoL2][PF6]·MeCN, established by X-ray diffraction, is mononuclear with a near octahedral cis-N4O2 co-ordination sphere; the presence of the phenolates stabilises the Co^III oxidation state by about one volt relative to [Co(terpy)2]³⁺(terpy = 2,2â ² : 6â ²,2â ³-terpyridine). The crystal structure of [Cu2L2(µ-MeCO2)][PF6]·1.5CH2Cl2 shows two near-planar CuL fragments stacked adjacent to each other such that the coplanar aromatic rings of the ligands are separated by an average of 3.54 à , comparable to the stacking distances in graphite and nucleic acids. Both phenolate residues and the acetate bridge the two copper(II) centres, giving a Cu2(µ-O)2(µ-1,3-MeCO2) core. By contrast the nickel(II) complex has the formulation [NiL2]·HPF6.