Heterobimetallic molecular precursors [Ti-4(dmae)(6)(mu-OH)(mu-O)(6)Cu-6(OAc)(9)center dot H2O] (1) and [Zn-7(OAc)(10)(mu-OH)(6)Cu-5(dmae)(4)Cl-4] (2) for the deposition of metal oxide thin films of Cu6Ti4O12 (Cu3TiO4, TiO2) and Cu5Zn7O12 (ZnO, CuO) were prepared by the interaction of Ti(dmae)(4) with Cu(OAc)(2)center dot 2H(2)O for 1 and tetrameric (N,N-dimethylamino)ethanolatocopper(II) chloride, [(dmae)CuCl](4) [where dmae = (N,N-dimethylamino)ethanolate] with Zn(OAc)(2)center dot 2H(2)O (where OAc = acetate) for 2 in dry toluene. Both complexes were characterized by melting point, elemental analysis, Fourier transform IR, fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry, thermal analysis (TGA), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. TGA and XRD prove that complexes 1 and 2 undergo facile thermal decomposition at 300 and 460 degrees C to form thin films of Cu/Ti and Cu/Zn mixed-metal oxides, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy and XRD of the thin films suggest the formation of impurity-free crystallite mixtures of Cu3TiO4 and TiO2, with average crystallite sizes of 22.2 nm from complex 1 and of ZnO and CuO with average crystallite sizes of 26.1 nm from complex 2.