The macrocycles L
1-L
3 incorporating N
2S
3-, N
2S
2O-, and N
2S
2-donor sets, respectively, and containing the 1,10-phenanthroline unit interact in acetonitrile solution with heavy metal ions such as Pb
II, Cd
II, and Hg
II to give 1:1 ML,1:2 ML
2, and 2:1 M
2L complex species, which specifically modulate the photochemical properties of the ligands.The stoichiometry of the complex species formed during spectrofluorometric titrations and their formation constantsin MeCN at 25
C were determined from fluorescence vs M
II/L molar ratio data. The complexes [Pb(L
1)][ClO
4]
2·
1/
2H
2O (
1), [Pb(L
2)][ClO
4]
2·MeNO
2 (
1a), [Pb(L
3)
2][ClO
4]
2·2MeCN (
1b), and [Cd(L
3)][NO
3]
2 (
2b) were also characterizedby X-ray diffraction studies. The conformation adopted by L
1-L
3 in these species reveals the aliphatic portion ofthe rings folded over the plane containing the heteroaromatic moiety with the ligands trying to encapsulate themetal center within their cavity. In
1,
1a, and
2b the metal ion completes the coordination sphere by interactingwith counteranion units and solvent molecules. On the contrary, the 1:2 complex
1b shows Pb
II sandwiched betweentwo symmetry-related molecules of L
3 reaching an overall [4N + 4S] eight-coordination.