Three heterobimetallic cyanido-bridged copper(II) nitroprusside-based complexes of the compositions [Cu(tet)Fe(CN)(5)O]center dot H2O (1), where tet=N,N'-bis(3-aminopropyl)ethylenediamine, [Cu(hto)Fe(CN)(5)NO]center dot 2H(2)O (2), where hto=1,3,6,9,11,14-hexaazatricyclo[12.2.1.1(69)]octadecane and [Cu(hto)(2)Fe(CN)(5)NO]center dot H2O (3), where nme=N-methylethylenediamine, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, Fe-57 Mossbauer and FTI spectroscopies, thermal analysis, magnetic measurements and single-crystal X-ray analysis. The products of thermal degradation processes of 2 and 3 were studied by XRD, Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy, SEM and EDS, and they were identified as mixtures of CuFe2O4 and CuO. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.