(2-(4-(Benzothiazole) phenyl) carbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetic acid (ZL-5) was synthesized and then its three metal complexes were prepared with structures determined by 1H NMR or X-ray. In all complexes, ZL-5 is deprotonated to generate the neutral complex unit and acts as a tetradentate ligand, providing iminodiacetic N atom and three O atoms to bond with metal ions. Meantime we studied on the interaction of complexes with DNA by ultraviolet ...