A new ligand, 2,6-bis{3-(2-pyridyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl}pyridine (L1), was designed and synthesized. The reactions of the ligand with Zn(OAc)2·(H2O)2, and Cu(ClO4)2·(H2O)6 were carried out and a tetra-nuclear cluster [ZnII4L12(CH3COO)4(OH)2](ClO4)2 (1) and a dinuclear double helical complex [CuII2L12(H2O)2](ClO4)4 (2), were obtained and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The solution behaviors of the complexes are also investigated.A tetra-nuclear cluster [ZnII4L12(CH3COO)4(OH)2](ClO4)2 and a dinuclear double helical complex [CuII2L12(H2O)2](ClO4)4 with 2,6-bis{3-(2-pyridyl)-1H-pyrazol-1-yl}pyridine (L1) have been synthesized and characterized.

Two-dimensional coordination polymers Zn2L2 (1) and Cd2L2·DMF·2H2O (2) (DMF = dimethylformamide) were synthesized under solvothermal conditions by the reactions between rigid dicarboxylate ligand containing two phosphine oxide groups, (S)-4,4′-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphinoyl)-1,1′-binaphthyl (H2L), and the Zinc(II) and Cadmium(II) salts. The complexes were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, infrared spectra (IR), elemental analyses, thermogravimetric analyses (TGA), and photoluminescent studies. Complexes 1 and 2 are isomorphous, while 2 contains different guest molecules with one DMF and two waters. Luminescent properties investigation shows that complexes 1 and 2 have red-shifted 14 nm and 11 nm, respectively, and the luminescence efficiency is also different compared with the free ligand H2L.Two-dimensional coordination polymers Zn2L2 (1) and Cd2L2·DMF·2H2O (2) with (S)-4,4′-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)-2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphinoyl)-1,1′-binaphthyl (H2L) have been synthesized under solvothermal conditions and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results confirmed that complexes 1 and 2 had red-shifted in luminescence spectrum compared with the free ligand H2L, which was induced by ligand-centered π→π∗ transitions.

A new bis-bidentate ligand, 1-[(5-methyl-2,2′-bipyridin-5′-yl)-methyl-1H-pyrazol-3-yl]-pyridine (L1), was designed and synthesized. The reactions of the ligand with [Cu(CH3CN)4]ClO4, Cu(ClO4)2·6H2O, AgNO3 and Cd(NO3)2·4H2O were carried out and dinuclear double helical complexes [CuI2L12][ClO4]2·CH3CN·0.5H2O (1), [CuII2L12(H2O)(CH3CN)][ClO4]4 (2), [AgI2L12](NO3)2·CH3CN (3) and [CdII2L12(NO3)4]·2H2O (4) were obtained and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, mass spectra, 1H NMR, and UV–Vis spectra. A dinuclear complex [NiII2L12(DMF)4](ClO4)4·H2O (5) was obtained by the reaction of the ligand with Ni(ClO4)2·6H2O. The results indicate that the formation of helicates is influenced by the structure of the bidentate ligand and the coordination geometry of the metal ions.Four dinuclear double helicates were assembled from a new bis-bidentate ligand and Cu(I), Cu(II), Ag(I), and Cd(II) salts. The results confirmed that the formation of the helical complexes is influenced by the structures of the ligand and the coordination goemetry of the metal ions.