Thiosemicarbazides　and　their　metal　complexes　have　attracted　considerable　interest　because　of　their　biological　activities　and　their　flexibility,　which　allows　the　ligands　to　bend　and　rotate　freely　to　accommodate　the　coordination　geometries　of　various　metal　centres.　Discrete　copper(II)　and　cadmium(II)　complexes　have　been　prepared　by　crystallization　of　N-[2-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl]propanamide　(H3L)　with　Cu(CH3COO)2　or　Cd(NO3)2　in　a　dimethylformamide/methanol　mixed-solvent　system　at　room　temperature,　affording　the　complexes　di-μ-acetato-bis{μ4-1-[(2-oxidophenyl)carbonyl]-2-(propanamidomethanethioyl)hydrazine-1,2-diido}tetracopper(II)　dimethylformamide　disolvate,　[Cu4(C11H10N3O3S)2(C2H3O2)2]·2C3H7NO,　(I),　and　bis{μ2-[(2-hydroxyphenyl)formamido](propanamidomethanethioyl)azanido}bis[(4,4′-bipyridine)nitratocadmium(II)]　dihydrate,　[Cd2(C11H12N3O3S)2(NO3)2(C10H8N2)2]·2H2O,　(II).　Complex　(I)　consists　of　four　CuII　cations,　two　μ4-bridging　trianionic　ligands　and　two　μ2-bridging　acetate　ligands,　while　complex　(II)　is　composed　of　two　CdII　cations,　two　μ2-bridging　monoanionic　ligands,　two　nitrate　ligands　and　two　4,4′-bipyridine　ligands.　These　discrete　complexes　are　connected　by　hydrogen　bonds　and　van　der　Waals　interactions　to　form　a　three-dimensional　supramolecular　architecture.　Compared　with　(I),　the　phenolic　hydroxy　group　and　hydrazide　N　atom　of　the　thiosemicarbazide　ligand　of　(II)　are　not　involved　in　coordination　and　lead　to　a　binuclear　CdII　complex.　This　different　coordination　mode　may　be　attributed　to　the　larger　ionic　radius　of　the　CdII　ion　compared　with　the　CuII　ion.Discrete　binuclear　copper(II)　and　tetranuclear　cadmium(II)　complexes　containing　deprotonated　N-[2-(2-hydroxybenzoyl)hydrazinecarbonothioyl]propanamide　ligands　are　connected　by　hydrogen　bonds　and　van　der　Waals　interactions　to　form　three-dimensional　supramolecular　architectures.　The　different　coordination　modes　may　be　attributed　to　the　larger　ionic　radius　of　the　CdII　ion　compared　with　the　CuII　ion.　©　2016　International　Union　of　Crystallography.