Coordination compounds formed by the interaction of manganese(II), cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) chloride and bromide with 4-cyanoaniline (4-CA) have been prepared and characterized by molar conductance, magnetic susceptibilities, electronic and i.r. spectral measurements down to 200 cm−1 in the solid state. The isolated complexes are M(4-CA)2X2 except for nickel(II) bromide which is NI(4-CA)4Br2. I.r. spectra, indicate that 4-CA, though a potentially bidentate ligand, nevertheless acts only as a terminally aniline (NH2) bonded monodentate ligand in all the complexes. Tentative stereochemistries of the complexes have been suggested in the solid state.