Several Schiff bases coordinated to vanadyl, VO(Schiff base), were synthesized, characterized and studied by thermogravimetry in order to evaluate their thermal stability and thermal decomposition pathways. The number of steps and, in particular, the starting temperature of decomposition of these complexes depend on the equatorial ligand. The intermediates of the thermal decomposition processes were characterized by their IR spectra. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.