Using a tridentate bis-amide ligand 2,6-bis[N-(phenyl)carbamoyl]pyridine (H2L), in its deprotonated form, nickel complexes in three consecutive oxidation states [Et4N](2)[(NiL2)-L-II]. H2O (1), [Et4N][(NiL2)-L-III]. H2O (2), and [(NiL2)-L-IV]. 0.75H(2)O (3) have been prepared, and 1 and 3 structurally characterized. These X-ray structures represent first crystallographically characterized NiN6 coordination sphere, with a common pyridine bis-amide ligand. Complex 1 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pccn, a = 10.175(2) Angstrom, b = 20.834(3) Angstrom, c = 23.765(4) Angstrom, Z = 4, and 3 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/a, a = 14.874(7) Angstrom, b = 13.300(4) Angstrom, c = 16.604(5) Angstrom, beta = 99.678(3)degrees, Z = 4. Considerable distortion is observed with the average distances being Ni-N-amide 2.131(8) Angstrom and Ni-N-py 1.994(7) Angstrom for 1 and Ni-N-amide 1.946(8) Angstrom and Ni-N-py 1.846(8) Angstrom for 3. The observation of short axial M-N-py and long equatorial M-N-amide bonds (tetragonally compressed octahedral geometry) is caused by the steric requirement of the ligand. Magnetic susceptibility measurements (63-300 K) reveal that the spin states of nickel centers in 1 and 2 are S = 1 and S = 1/2, respectively. Complex 3 is diamagnetic. In their absorption spectra (MeCN), 1 exhibits a d-d transition at 854 nm; 2 and 3 display LMCT transitions at 449 nm with a shoulder at 636 nm and at 480 nm with a shoulder at 730 nm, respectively. The nickel(III) complex 2 exhibits a rhombic EPR signal (g values: 2.149, 2.115, and 2.034), showing that the metal center is the primary residence site of the unpaired electron. Cyclic voltammetric measurements of 1 in MeCN solution at a glassy carbon electrode exhibit two chemically reversible (i(p,a)/i(p,c) approximate to 1) and electrochemically quasireversible (Delta E-p = 100 mV) oxidative responses: a Ni-III-Ni-II couple (E-1/2 = 0 05 V vs SCE) and a Ni-IV-Ni-III couple (E-1/2 = 0 51 V vs SCE). A one-electron chemical oxidation of yellowish brown 1 was achieved in a two-phase solvent mixture H2O-CH(2)Ch with [Fe(eta(5)-C5H5)(2)][PF6], which led to the isolation of reddish brown 2. A two-electron chemical oxidation of 1 was readily achieved in MeCN with eerie ammonium nitrate to afford dark violet crystals of 3. For 1 a linear correlation between the Ni-III-Ni-II reduction potentials and the reciprocal of solvent dielectric constants is obtained.