The reactions of Ga(NO 3 ) 3 AE 9H 2 O with 2,2 0 -bipyridine (bpy), 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) and 2,2 0 :6 0 ,2 00 -terpyridine (terpy) in alcohols afford the complexes [Ga 2 (OH) 2 (bpy) 4 ](NO 3 ) 4 (1), [Ga 2 (OH) 2 (phen) 4 ](NO 3 ) 4 (2) and [Ga 2 (OH) 2 (H 2 O) 2 (terpy) 2 ](NO 3 ) 4 (3), respectively, in good yields. The crystal structures of 1 AE 1.3MeOH AE 1.4H 2 O, 2 AE 4.5MeOH and 3 have been solved by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The three complexes contain the fGa III 2 ðl-OHÞ 2 g 4þ core. Four nitrogen atoms from two chelating bpy (1) or phen (2) complete distorted octahedral coordination at each metal centre. In 3 one tridentate chelating terpy and one aquo ligand complete six coordination at each Ga III atom. The crystal structure of 2 AE 4.5MeOH is stabilized by hydrogen bonds and intermolecular p-p stacking interactions, while in 3 hydrogen bonds create a double-chain, ladder-like architecture. Characteristic IR data are discussed in terms of the nature of bonding and the structures of the three complexes. The 1 H NMR spectra of complexes 2 and 3 suggest the presence of the free ligand and one solution species containing the coordinated ligand. The structure of the cation [Ca 2 (OH) 2 (bpy) 4 ] 4+ is retained in D 2 O as deduced by the 2D homonuclear COSY map.