Tris-beta-diketonate lanthanide(Ill) complexes (Ln = Eu, Er, Yb, Tb), of general formula [Ln(acaC)(3)L-m], with chelating ligands such as 4,7-disubstituted-1, 10-phenanthrolines and 4,4'-disubstituted-2,2'-bipyridines, have been synthesized and fully characterized. The inductive effects of the para-substituents on the aromatic N-donor ligands have been investigated both in the solid and in the solution states. Single-crystal X-ray structures have been determined for the diethyl 1,10-phenanthroline-4,7-dicarboxylate europium and 4,4'-dimethoxy-2,2'-bipyridine erbium derivatives, revealing a distorted square antiprismatic geometry around the lanthanide atom in both cases. The influence exerted by the p,p'-substituents with respect to the nitrogen coordinating atoms on the Ln-N bond distances is discussed comparing the geometrical parameters with those found for the crystal structures containing the fragments [Ln(III) (phen)] and [Ln(III)(bipy)] obtained from the Cambridge Structural Database. The influence exerted by the electron-attracting groups on the coordination ability of the ligands, that in some cases becomes lack of coordination of the lanthanide ions, has been also detected in solution where the loss of the ligand has been followed by UV-vis spectroscopy. Moreover, the use of relatively long alkoxy chains as substituents on the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand led to the formation of a promesogenic lanthanide complex, whose thermal behavior is encouraging for the synthesis of new lanthanide liquid-crystalline species.