The coordination compounds of group 12 halides with 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), 2[CdF2(bpy)2]·7H2O (1), [ZnI(bpy)2]+·I3−(2), [CdI2(bpy)2] (3), [Cd(SiF6)H2O(phen)2]·[Cd(H2O)2(phen)2]2+·F–·0.5(SiF6)2–·9H2O (4), [Hg(phen)3]2+·(SiF6)2–·5H2O (5), [ZnBr2(phen)2] (6), 6[Zn(phen)3]2+·12Br–·26H2O (7) and [ZnI(phen)2]+·I–(8), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography, IR spectroscopy, elemental and thermal analysis. Structural investigations revealed that metal : ligand stoichiometry in the inner coordination sphere is 1 : 2 or 1 : 3. A diversity of intra- and intermolecular interactions exists in structures of1–8, including the rare halogen⋯halogen and halogen⋯πinteractions. The thermal and spectroscopic properties were correlated with the molecular structures of1–8. Structural review of all currently known coordination compounds of group 12 halides with bpy and phen is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]