Abstract The synthesis and structural chemistry of a series of new divalent transition metal complexes of the bis-bidentate ligand 3, 3′-diamino-2, 2′-bipyridine (L1) and its dication L1H 2 are described. Ligand L1 reacts with salts of divalent transition metals to afford the (1: 1) metal-ligand complexes (2a− 2d) as well as the tris complexes (3a− 3f). All complexes were fully characterised by spectroscopic methods and the following compounds [Cu (L1) ...