Eight neutral mononuclear complexes constructed from transition metals （M = Co（Ⅱ）, Ni（Ⅱ）, Cu（Ⅱ）, Zn（Ⅱ）, Cd（Ⅱ）） and ligands N-（2-pyridylmethyl）-L-phenylalanine （L-Hpmpa） and N-（2-pyridylmethyl）-L-tyrosine （L-Hpmtyr） have been synthesized by both hydrothermal and conventional room temperature reactions. Four of them have been structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffractions. They are： [Co（L-pmpa）2·2H2O] 1, [Ni（L-pmpa）2·2H2O] 2, [Cu（L-pmpa）2·2H2O] 3 and [Cu（L-pmtyr）2·2H2O] 4. Single-crystal X-ray analysis, IR and elemental analysis revealed that complexes 1, 2 and 3 are isostructural. Powder X-ray diffraction, IR and elemental analysis revealed that complexes 4, 5 （Zn[L-pmtyr]2·2H2O）, 6 （Cd[L-pmtyr]2·2H2O）, 7 （Co[L-pmtyr]2·2H2O） and 8 （Ni[L-pmtyr]2·2H2O） are isostructural. The photoluminescence properties of L-Hpmtyr ligand, compounds 5 and 6 were also investigated.
