The co-ordination of a series of terpyridine-N-oxide ligands to the Cu(ii) ion is reported. Addition of two equivalents of ligand results in the formation of the expected 2 : 1 six co-ordinate product, while the addition of one equivalent of ligand allows the isolation of 1 : 1 species if the ligand has a meridonal binding mode. The five complexes isolated were characterised in the solid state by X-ray crystallography while they are studied in solution using EPR, UV-vis spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy.