New lanthanide complexes of the composition LnL3 (Ln = EuIII, TbIII, DyIII, SmIII) with 5,6´-diaryl-2,2´-bipyridine-6-carboxylate anions, including their cyclopentene-fused analogs, were synthesized. The ligands were prepared using a combination of the "1,2,4-triazine" methodology and the Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The photophysical properties of the new compounds were investigated. It was found that in some cases, the introduction of an additional phenyl substituent at the C(6´) position of the ligand led to a bathoc hromic shift of the absorption maxima of the complexes.