A general method for the preparation of the unsymmetrical 2, 8-and 2, 9- dihalophenanthrolines is presented. The use of these halophenanthrolines as synthetic substrates in the Suzuki and Sonogashira/Castro-Stevens palladium catalyzed chemistry is exemplifed. These derivatized phenanthrolines are seen as key building blocks for the design and construction of topologically complex polynuclear metal coordination ...