The interactions of 1-hydroxopyridine-2-thione or 2-mercaptopyridine N-oxide (LH) with transition and d10 metal ions have been investigated. The complexes [RhL3] and [ML2] (M = Pd, Cd and Hg) were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. The bis(1-oxopyridine-2-thionato)palladium(II) chloroform solvate crystallizes in space group Pna21 with a = 9.1569(15), b = 21.306(3), c = 8.4618(14) Â, Z = 4. The structure can be described in terms of rows of bis(2-mercaptopyridine N-oxide) palladium(II) molecules which alternate with another row of molecules at an angle of approximately 24.9°. The coordination geometry about palladium(II) is nearly square-planar.