Some new unsymmetrical diimino tetradentate Schiff bases derived from 3,4-diaminobenzophenone, (N-salicyliden-N'-5-OMe.salycyliden)-3,4-diaminobenzophenone (H 2 sal-5-OMe.sal.dabp) (H 2 L 1 ), (H 2 sal-5-Br.sal.dabp) (H 2 L 2 ), (H 2 sal-5-Cl.sal.dabp) (H 2 L 3 ) and (H 2 sal-5-NO 2 .sal.dabp) (H 2 L 4 ) and their Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, 1 H NMR, UV-Vis spectra and mass spectra. The thermodynamic formation constants of the complexes were determined spectrophotometrically at constant ionic strength (0.1 M NaClO 4 ) at 25 ºC in DMF and their free energies of formation were calculated at 25 ºC.