A series of novel Cd(II) complexes incorporating ligand, di(2-pyridinyl)methanone N-(2-pyridinyl)hydrazone (DPMNPH), has been investigated. The ligand, DPMNPH, and its corresponding complexes have been characterized with the help of a number of techniques: microanalysis, FT-IR, 1H and 13C NMR, UV/vis spectroscopy, thermal studies and MS-FAB mass spectrometry. In addition, single crystal X-ray diffraction measurement studies are also employed in one of the complexes showing a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry. Furthermore, the existence of NH-Npy intramolecular hydrogen bonding interactions in the ligand and its corresponding complexes has also been reported. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.