A series of new neutral and cationic palladium(II) complexes of type [Pd(L-L)X 2 ] (5, 6, 9, 10), [Pd(L-L)Y 2 ](BF 4 ) 2 (7, 8, 11, 12) and [Pd(η 3 -C 6 H 9 )(L-L)](PF 6 ) (13, 14), (L-L = 1,2-bis(N-indolinyl)ethane (BIE, 3), 1,2-bis(N-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolinyl)ethane (BTQE,4 ); X = Cl, NO 3 ; Y = MeCN, H 2 O) have been prepared and characterized. These investigations show that BIE and BTQE can lead to chiral C 2 -symmetric complexes, as well as to the achiral meso compounds. A nearly quantitative yield of the C 2 -symmetric isomer was found for the reaction of (PhCN) 2 PdCl 2 with BIE and BTQE. The solid state structures of the C 2 -symmetric [Pd(BIE)Cl 2 ] (5a) and the meso isomer of [Pd(η 3 -C 6 H 9 )(BIE)](PF 6 ) (13b) have been determined by X-ray structure analysis.