Three new lanthanide phenoxyacetate complexes with 1,10 phenanthroline, [Nd(POA) 3(phen)] 2·2C 2H 5OH (1), [Eu(POA) 3 (phen)] 2·2C 2H 5OH (2) and [Sm(POA) 2(DMSO)(phen)] 2 (ClO 4) 2 (3) (POA=phenoxyacetate, phen=1,10 phenanthroline, DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide), were synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, UV vis and FAB MS spectra. Their structures were determined by single crystal X ray diffraction analysis. In complexes 1 and 2, the carboxylate groups are bonded to Ln 3+ ion in three modes: the chelating bidentate, the bridging bidentate and the bridging tridentate. In complex 3, the carboxyl ate groups are bonded to Sm 3+ ion only involved in one mode: the bridging bidentate. The luminescence behavior of complex 2 was also studied by means of emission spectra.