Reaction of copper(I) thiocyanate and triphenylphosphane with the bidentate Schiff baseN,N′-bis(trans-2-nitrocinnamaldehyde)ethylenediamine {Nca₂en, (1); systematic name (1E,1′E,2E,2′E)-N,N′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[3-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-imine]}, C₂₀H₁₈N₄O₄, in a 1:1:1 molar ratio in acetonitrile resulted in the formation of the complex {(1E,1′E,2E,2′E)-N,N′-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[3-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-imine]-κ²N,N′}(thiocyanato-κN)(triphenylphosphane-κP)copper(I)], [Cu(NCS)(C₂₀H₁₈N₄O₄)(C₁₈H₁₅P)] or [Cu(NCS)(Nca₂en)(PPh₃)], (2). The Schiff base and copper(I) complex have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, electronic and¹H NMR spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography [from synchrotron data for (1)]. The molecule of (1) lies on a crystallographic inversion centre, with atransconformation for the ethylenediamine unit, and displays significant twists from coplanarity of its nitro group, aromatic ring, conjugated chain and especially ethylenediamine segments. It acts as a bidentate ligand coordinatingviathe imine N atoms to the Cu^Iatom in complex (2), in which the ethylenediamine unit necessarily adopts a somewhat flattenedgaucheconformation, resulting in a rather bowed shape overall for the ligand. The NCS⁻ligand is coordinated through its N atom. The geometry around the Cu^Iatom is distorted tetrahedral, with a small N—Cu—N bite angle of 81.56 (12)° and an enlarged opposite angle of 117.29 (9)° for SCN—Cu—P. Comparisons are made with the analogous Schiff base having no nitro substituents and with metal complexes of both ligands.