Reaction of 2-acetamidobenzaldehyde with 2-amino-, 2-amino-4-methyl-, 2-amino-4-methoxy-, 2-amino-4-chloro-, 2-amino-6-nitro- and 6-(methylsulfonyl)benzothiazole afforded a series of congeneric Schiff bases. These compounds have been further used for complexation reactions to obtain Co(II) and Ni(II) chelates. These chelates, of the type [M(L)(2)]Cl-2, have been characterized by physical, spectral, and analytical data. The Schiff bases act tridentately and their metal complexes are proposed to possess an octahedral geometry about the central metal ion. These compounds have been screened for antibacterial properties against the pathogenic species Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.