Reaction of yttrium and lanthanum trichloride with 1 equiv of sodium or potassium hydrotris (3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-borate and 1 equiv of 2,2'-bipyridine gives good yields of the complexes [MCl2(Tp(Me2))(C10H8N2)] (M = Y (1), La (2)). The analogous compounds with 1,10-phenanthroline, [MCl2(Tp(Me2)) (C12H8N2)] (M = Y (3), La (4)), have been obtained by a similar procedure. The solid-state structures of 2-4 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and revealed that the compounds are all seven-coordinate with capped octahedral geometry. In contrast, reaction of yttrium trichloride with 1 equiv of sodium hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate in the presence of 1 equiv of neocuproine affords [YCl3(Tp(Me2))][Na(neoc)(3))] (5). Compounds 1 and 2 provide an entry for the synthesis of complexes containing the bipyridyl ligand in a radical anionic form or in a dianionic form. Reaction of 1 and 2 with an excess of sodium amalgam gives [Y(Tp(Me2)) (bipy)(THF)(2)] (6) and [La(Tp(Me2))(2)(bipy)] (7), respectively. The structures of both compounds have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Compound 7 can be oxidized with iodine to give [La(Tp(Me2))(2)(bipy)] (8).