Salicylic, 5-chloro-5-bromo-5-nitro-, 3-methoxysalicylic, 2-hydroxy-1-naphthoic aldehydes and 2,3-, 2,4-, and 2,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde were shown to react in ethanol with 2-(2-aminoethylamino)ethanol in the presence of copper acetate hydrate forming coordination compounds Cu(L ^1-9)CH₃COO {HL^1-8, 2-([2-(2-hydroxyethylamino) ethylimino]methyl}phenol (HL¹) and respective chloro- (HL ²), bromo- (HL³), nitro- (HL⁴), methoxy- (HL⁸), or hydroxy-substituted (HL^5-7); HL⁹, 2-{[2-(2-hydroxyethylamine)ethylimino] methylnaphthol)}. Structure of the complex Cu(L³)CH₃COO was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Coordination polyhedron of its central atom is a distorted tetragonal bipyramid with (4+1+1) modes of coordinating the copper atom. The bipyramid base is formed by the atoms of phenol oxygen and of azomethine and imine nitrogen atoms of the ligand (HL³) and the oxygen atom of the acetate ion. Axial apices of the bipyramid are occupied by the alcohol oxygen atoms of the azomethine (HL³) and the second oxygen atom of the acetate ion. Other complexes are also of monomer structure. Azomethines (HL^1-9) behave as monodeprotonated tetradentate O,N,N,O ligands. The thermolysis of substances includes a stage of complete thermal decomposition (360-530°C). Synthesized complexes show selective antimicrobial activity against a series of standard strains of Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli at the concentration in the range of 75-300 μg ml^-1.