Treatment of Nd(NO3)(3) with 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpm) afforded the mononuclear adduct [Nd(NO3)(3)(bpm)(MeOH)(2)] (1) after recrystallization from MeOH, while reactions of hydrated NdCl3 and various beta-diketonates in the presence of bpm gave the binuclear compounds [{Nd(dbm)(3)(THF)}(2)(mu-bpm)] (2) and [{Nd(bta)(3)(MeOH)}(2)(mu-bpm)]center dot bpm (3.bpm) (Hdbm = dibenzoylmethane, Hbta = 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione) and the one-dimensional coordination polymer (Nd(tta)(3)(mu-bpm)center dot MeOH](infinity) (4 center dot MeOH) (Htta = 2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone). The crystal structures of 2-4 demonstrate that the bpm molecule can act as a planar bridging ligand between two lanthanide ions as large as Nd3+. Luminescence measurements revealed that near-IR emission from neodymium can be obtained after excitation of either the bpm or the beta-diketonate ligand, and that an energy transfer occurs from the beta-diketonate group to the bpm molecule.