Two novel centrosymmetric dinuclear nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes were unprecedented prepared from mono-Schiff bases with salicylaldehyde derivatives and metal acetate under solvolthermal conditions. The mono-Schiff bases bearing 2-[(3-cyclohexylaminopropylimino)methyl]phenol backbones used to prepare nickel and zinc complexes can be transformed to other ligands in the reactions, which never occur under mild synthetic procedures. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.