The complex [ZnBr2L1] (L-1 = ferrocenylmethyl-bis[2-{pyrid-2-yl}-ethyl]amine) contains bidentate L-1 by crystallography and NMR spectroscopy and decomposes during recrystallization from CH2Cl2/pentane via both C-N bond cleavage and formation steps. Other [MBr2L1] (M = Co, Ni, Cu) compounds do not undergo this reaction and contain L-1 bound in the more usual tridentate coordination mode.