Structural, spectroscopic properties on the dinuclear [M
2(dcpm)
2(CN)
4] (M = Pt,
1a; Ni,
2a, dcpm =bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)methane) and [M
2(dmpm)
2(CN)
4] (M = Pt,
1b; Ni,
2b, dmpm = bis(dimethylphosphino)methane) and the mononuclear
trans-[M(PCy
3)
2(CN)
2] (M = Pt,
3; Ni,
4, PCy
3 = tricyclohexylphosphine) andtheoretical investigations on the corresponding model compounds are described. X-ray structural analyses revealPt···Pt and Ni···Ni distances of 3.0565(4)/3.189(1) Å and 2.957(1)/3.209(8) Å for
1a/
1b and
2a/
2b, respectively.The UV-vis absorption bands at 337 nm (
2.41 × 10
4 dm
3 mol
-1 cm
-1) for
1a and 328 nm (
2.43 × 10
4 dm
3mol
-1 cm
-1) for
1b in CH
2Cl
2 are assigned to
1(5d
*
6p
) electronic transitions originating from Pt(II)-Pt(II)interactions. Resonance Raman spectroscopy of
1a, in which all the Raman intensity appears in the Pt-Pt stretchfundamental (93 cm
-1) and overtone bands, verifies this metal-metal interaction. Complexes
1a and
1b exhibitphotoluminescence in the solid state and solution. For the dinuclear nickel(II) complexes
2a and
2b, neitherspectroscopic data nor theoretical calculation suggests the presence of Ni(II)-Ni(II) interactions. The intense absorptionbands at
> 320 nm in the UV-vis spectra of
2a and
2b are tentatively assigned to d
d transitions.