TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Claimed Preparation : (I) are prepared by reacting the novel ligands L with a metal alcoholate of formula M(OR1)p, a metal ketoketonate of formula (20) or a metal halide of formula MHalp.M = transition metal;A = neutral, monoanionic, monodentate or bidentate ligand;p = integer 1-5; andq = integer 0-4.The reaction can be activated by heat, photochemically or by microwaves and can take place in 1 step or can be effected starting from reaction of a polypodal cryptand precursor with a metal compound followed by subsequent formation of the second or further bridging units.Preferred Complexes : The complex is electrically neutral and the sum of the valency electrons around the metal atom is 18. Cy1 and Cy2 are preferably aromatic and can be different, with one being bonded via a metal-carbon bond and the other via a carbon atom other than a donor atom to the metal. Bridging unit V has 3-6 atoms. Metal M is a transition metal of atomic number above 38 and ligand L is of formula (4). D1 and D2 = same or different donor groups (especially nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen or sulfur atoms or groups, such as amines, nitriles, amides, imides, imines, phosphines, phosphites, phosphoaromatics, alcohols, ethers, carbonyl-containing gruops, phosphine oxides, sulfoxides, carboxylates, phenols, oximes, hydroxamates, beta-ketoketonates, beta-ketoesters or beta-ketodiesters, aliphatic or aromatic thiols, thioethers, thiophenes, thiocarbonyl compounds, phosphine sulfides or thiocarboxylates).The complex contains a partial structure of formula (5)-(16).M = a metal;E = C, N or P;Q = O, S, Se, Te or N;T = N, P or C;X = CR, N or P;Y = NR1, O, S, Se, Te, SO, SeO, TeO, SO2, SeO2, TeO2, R1SO, R1SeO, R1TeO, R1SO2, R1Se2, R1TeO2, R1PO, or (R1)2PO;V = B, BR-, B(CR2)3, RB(CR2)3-, B(O)3, RP(O)3-, B(CR2CR2)3, RB(CR2CR2)3-, B(CR2O)3, RB(CR2O)3-, B(OCR2)3, RB(OCR2)3-, Al(O)3, RAl(O)3-, Al(OCR2)3, RAl(OCR2)3-, CR, CO-, CN(R1)2, RC(CR2)3, RC(O)3, RC(CR2CR2)3, RC(CR2O)3, RC(OCR2)3, RC(SiR2)3, RC(SiR2CR2)3, RC(CR2SiR2)3, RC(SiR2SiR2)3, SiR, RSi(CR2)3, RSi(O)3, RSi(CR2CR2)3, RSi(OCR2)3, RSi(CR2O)3, RSi(SiR2)3, RSi(SiR2CR2)3, RSi(CR2SiR2)3, RSi(SiR2SiR2)3, N, NO, NR+, N(CR2)3, RN(CR2)3, N(CO)3, N(CR2CR2)3, RN(CR2CR2)3+, P, P(O), P(S), P(Se), P(Te), P(O)3, PO(O)3, P(OCR2)3, PO(OCR2)3, P(CR2)3, PO(CR2)3, P(CR2CR2)3, PO(CR2CR2)3, As, AsO, AsS, AsSe, AsTe, As(O)3, AsO(O)3, As(OCR2)3, AsO(OCR2)3, As(CR2)3, AsO(CR2)3, As(CR2CR2)3, AsO(CR2CR2)3, Sb, SbO, SbS, SbSe, SbTe, Sb(O)3, SbO(O)3, Sb(OCR2)3, SbO(OCR2)3, Sb(CR2)3, SbO(CR2)3, Sb(CR2CR2)3, SbO(CR2CR2)3, Bi, BiO, BiS, BiSe, BiTe, Bi(O)3, BiO(O)3, Bi(OCR2)3, BiO(OCR2)3, Bi(CR2)3, BiO(CR2)3, Bi(CR2CR2)3, BiO(CR2CR2)3, S+, S(CR2)3+, S(CR2CR2)3+, Se+, Se(CR2)3+, Se(CR2CR2)3+, Te+, Te(CR2)3+, Te(CR2CR2)3+ or a group of formula (17) or (18);Z = CR2, NR, O, S, SiR2, PR, CR2CR2, CR2NR, CR2O, CR2S, CR2SiR2 or CR2PR;R = H, F, Cl, Br, I, NO2, CN, 1-20C (cyclo)alkyl or (cyclo)alkoxy (optionally interrupted by CR1=CR1, Ctriple bondC, Si(R1)2, Ge(R1)2, Sn(R1)2, CO, C=S, C=Se, C=NR1, O, S, NR1 or CONR1, and optionally fluorinated), or 1-14C aryl, aryloxy or heteroaryl (each optionally substituted by one or more non-aromatic R groups or by a diarylamine group), or R groups can bond together to form a mono- or poly-cyclic, aliphatic, aromatic or benzo-annelated ring;R1 = H or 1-20C aliphatic or aromatic group; andc = 0 or 1. EXAMPLE - An above 99.8 %-pure iridium complex with phenylpyridine ligands having a long-term heat stability greater than that for the comparable known complexes of WO2002015645 was obtained by: refluxing a solution of 2-(6-pyridinecarboxylic acid)-2-(1,3-bis(3-pyridylphenyl)propyl ether (2.44 g) and indium (III) chloride hydrate (IrCl3.3H2O) (1.76 g) in a mixture of ethoxyethanol (100 ml) and water (25 ml) for 20 hours; and cooling the mixture, filtering off the yellow fine-crystalline precipitate, washing 3 times with 1 : 1 v/v ethanol/water mixture, drying and, finally, recrystallizing 3 times from DMSO.