the spectra of 3-Yb are very weak and could not be interrogated further. As the emission spectra observed do not vary with changes in excitation wavelength it can be inferred that each complex has one excited state in common. These emission bands are best compared with those seen for the Ln(II) complexes [K(2.2.2cryptand)][Ln{N(Si t BuMe2)2}3] (Ln = Eu, em = 18,520 cm -1 , 540 nm, green; Ln = Yb, em = 15,380 cm - 1 , 650 nm, red) and [Eu{N(Si i Pr3)2}2] (em = 16,950 cm -1 , 590 nm, yellow-orange). The excitation spectra of all complexes studied are asymmetric and exhibit some features that match those in the electronic absorption spectra with higher energy maxima than literature complexes (1-Eu:  = 31,750 cm -1 , 315 nm;