The cobalt(II) addition compounds [Co(X-salo)(2)(Y)], where X-salo is the anion of substituted salicylaldehydes (X = 3-OCH3, 5-CH3, 5-Cl. 5-NO2 and Y = the neutral 1, 10 phenanthroline or neocuproine), were synthesized and characterized by physicochemical and spectral (IR. UV-Vis) data. Theoretical calculations (DFT, ZINDO, TD DFT) with GAUSSIAN 03 for the prediction of the electronic spectrum for the compounds. gave good correlation with the experimental one in the solid state and in solution. The cyclic voltammetry study in CH3CN gave all the expected waves for the redox processes of the metal Co(II) and the ligands phen or neoc and salicylaldehydes. The X-ray diffraction study of three compounds [Co(5-NO2-salo)(2)(phen)], [Co(5-CH3-salo)(2)(neoc)] and [Co(5-Cl-salo)(2)(neoc)] verified their analogous proposed octahedral arrangement of the ligands around the cobalt(II) atom. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.