Chloro and acetato complexes of palladium(II) and nickel(II) with terdentate PNO acylhydrazonic ligands derived from 2-(diphenylphosphino)benzaldehyde have been synthesized and characterized. The acetato complexes are able to activate the CH bond of terminal alkynes, giving stable alkynyl complexes, one of which has been X-ray characterized. The coordination chemistry of the new PNN ligand 2-(diphenylp