The reaction of bipyridine derivatives (L = 2,2'-bipyridyl-3,3' -dicarboxylic acid($H_2BDC$), 3,3'-dimethylol-2,2'-bipyridine(DMB) with $K_2[MCl_4]$ and $Na_2[MCl_6]$ (M = Pt, Pd) gives $MLCl_2$ and $MLCl_4$ respectively. All complexes were characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques. The molecular structures of $Pt(H_2BDC)Cl_2$(1a), $Pd(H_2BDC)Cl_2$(1b), and $Pd(DMB)Cl_2$(3b) have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. X-ray structures indicate that the ligand can't attain a planar state owing to the sufficiently bulky substituents in the 3,3'-positions. The very different NMR spectra ($^1H$, $^{13}C$, and $^{195}Pt$) and UV-Vis. spectrum of 1a in DMSO from those in DMF revealed that $H_2BDC$ released from Pt(II) complex. 1a exhibited lower activity against the leukemia L1210 cell line compared with the known cisplatin.
