This study focuses on a series of Pt-II(L-L')(dppm)(n+) complexes, where dppm is bis(diphenylphosphino)methane and L-L' are C<^>C' (n = 0), C<^>N (n = 1), and N<^>N' (n = 2) aromatic ligands. Structural characteristics are as follows: for [Pt(phen)(dppm)](PF6)(2), a N<^>N' derivative, monoclinic, C2/c, a = 33.583(6) Angstrom, b = 11.399(2) Angstrom, c = 22.158(4) Angstrom, Z = 8; for [Pt(phq)(dppm)](PF6), a C<^>N derivative, triclinic, P (1) over bar, a = 11.415(3) Angstrom, b = 13.450(3) A, c 14.210(4) Angstrom, Z = 2; for [Pt(phpy)(dppm)](PF6), a C<^>N derivative, triclinic, P (1) over bar, a = 10.030(3) 13.010(2) Angstrom, c = 15.066(4) Angstrom, Z = 2; and for [Pt(bph)(dppm)], a C<^>C' derivative, P2(1)/c, a = 17.116(7) Angstrom, b = 21.422(6) Angstrom, c = 26.528(6) Angstrom, Z = 12, where phen is 1,10-phenanthroline, phq is 2-phenylquinoline, phpy is 2-phenylpyridine, and bph is 2,2'-biphenyl. Structural features indicate that the Pt-C bond distance is shorter than the Pt-N bond distance in symmetrical complexes and that the Pt-P bond distance trans to N is shorter than the Pt-P bond trans to C. This is consistent with the P-31 NMR spectra where the chemical shift of the P Angstrom, b = trans to C is similar to 10 ppm less than found for P trans to N. The energy maxima of the metal-to ligand charge-transfer band for the complexes containing various L-L' ligands occur in the near-UV region of the spectrum and fall into the energy series bpy > bph > phen > 2-phpy > 2-ptpy > 2-phq > 7,8-bzq, where bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine, 2-phpy is 2-phenylpyridine, 2-ptpy is 2-p-tolylpyridine, and 7,8-bzq is 7,8-benzoquinoline. The emission energy maxima, ascribed to variance in metal-perturbed triplet ligand centered emission, commence near 500 nm and follow the series phen > bpy > 7,8-bzq > 2-phpy > 2-ptpy > bph > 2-phq. In general, emission is observed at 77 K and in solution at low temperatures, but the temperature dependence of the emission lifetimes indicates thermal activation to another state occurs with an energy of similar to 1800 cm(-1) for the complexes, with the exception of [Pt(bph)(dppm)], which has an activation energy of similar to 2300 cm(-1).