Two novel photoactivatable Ca2+ compounds were synthesized to achieve a fast concentration jump of calcium ions in solution; this is of paramount importance for investigating the physiological cellular response. The light-sensitive ligands 4-(2-nitrophenyl)-3,6-dioxaoctane dioic acid (H2L1) and 4-(4,5-dimethoxy-2-nitrophenyl)-3,6-dioxaoctane dioic acid (H2L2) were generated by multistep syntheses, and the corresponding calcium complexes, Ca(1) and Ca(2), were isolated and characterized. The solution equilibria of H2L1 and H2L2 with Ca2+ were investigated; for both ligands, the formation of a 1:2 Ca2+/ligand species is detected and the complete characterization is presented. The crystal structures of Ca(1) and Ca(2) were determined. In Ca(1) the solid state assembly is attained by a polymeric association of [(CaL1(H2O))(2)(mu-OH2)] dimeric units. Each calcium ion coordinates four oxygen atoms of one ligand (two ethereal, one carboxylic, and one bridging carboxylic oxygen atom), one water molecule, one bridging water molecule, and a carboxylate group of the other ligand within the dimer. The octacoordination of the metal is completed by an interaction with the adjacent dimeric unit. The crystal structure of the complex Ca(2) does not show a polymeric nature, but it is a centrosymmetric dimer. The coordination number of the metal ion is still 8: 4 oxygen atoms of the ligand; 3 water molecules; 1 bridging carboxylate group. A preliminary study of the photochemical features of the complexes Ca(1) and Ca(2) is reported: photoexcitation by a nanosecond pulsed UV laser induces the cleavage of the ligand. This drastically reduces the affinity of the ligand toward Ca2+, which is then released in solution.