Imidazole ring coordination compounds are very useful models to better understand the coordination properties and the reaction mechanisms of biologically important systems. On the basis of previous work, new Co(II)-, Ni(II)- and Cu(II)-4(5)-aminoimidazole-5(4)-carboxamide coordination compounds have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, UV-Vis and IR spectroscopies. Their thermal stability was determined by differential scanning calorimetry and by thermogravimetry, and the decomposition mechanisms were investigated by evolved gas analysis (EGA). (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.