3-Bromopyridine and 3-bromoquinoline on reaction with n-butyllithium give lithiated products which on reaction with dichloromethylvinylsilane and 1,2-dichlorodimethyldisilane at -78 degrees C result in the ligands bis(3-pyridyl)methylvinylsilane (L1) and 1,2-di(3-quinolyl)dimethyl disilane (L2). The complexation reactions of both these ligands with Ag(I), Pd(II) and Cu(II) have been explored. The H-1, C-13{H-1} and Si-29{H-1}NMR and IR spectra of both the ligands and their metal complexes have been found characteristic. The complex of L1 with silver(I), [Ag(L1)]ClO4 (1) gives suitable single crystals characterized by X-ray diffraction. Its structure consists of two dimensional sheets, having 25-membered metallamacrocycle ring, in which Ag has distorted tetrahedral geometry and is bonded to vinyl (eta(2)) group. On reacting AgCF3SO3 with L1 and subjecting the single crystals of the resulting complex to X-ray diffraction it has been found that contrary to 1 there is no bond between vinyl group and silver, resulting in infinite molecular strands, in which coordination geometry of silver is distorted trigonal planar. CF3SO3- anion acts as a bridge between two molecular strands through F center dot center dot center dot H (aromatic) and Ag center dot center dot center dot O secondary interactions. The Ag-C distances in 1 are 2.309(5) and 2.350(12) angstrom. The C=C bond length does not exhibit significant change on bonding with silver in 1. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.