The complexes [M(C∧P)(acac-O,O′)] [M ) Pt ( 1) Pd (1′); C∧P ) CH 2 -C 6 H 4 -P(o-tolyl) 2 -κC,P; acac ) 2,4-pentanedionato] were prepared by the reaction of [M(C∧P)(µ-Cl)] 2 [M ) Pt, Pd] with Tl(acac) and fully characterized. The reactions of [Pt(C∧P)(acac-O,O′)] (1) with equimolar amounts of HgX 2 (X ) I, Br) give the polynuclear complexes [Pt(C∧P)(acac-O,O′)HgI(µ-I)] 2 (2) and [{Pt(C∧P)(acac-O,O′)HgBr(µ-Br)} 2 (µ-HgBr 2 )] ( 3) containing unsupported Pt-to-Hg donor bonds. In the pentanuclear complex 3, the central mercury atom shows an unexpected square-planar environment, unprecedented for halomercurates(II). The complex [Pt(C∧P)-(acac-O,O′)] (1) also reacts with Hg(O 2 CR) 2 (R ) CH 3 , CF 3 ), but in 1:2 molar ratio, to afford the neutral hexanuclear complexes [Pt(C∧P)(µ-O 2 CR) 2 Hg(µ 3 -acac 2--κC 3 ,O)Hg(O 2 CR-κO)] 2 [R ) CH 3 (4), CF 3 (5)]. An X-ray study of 4 revealed that these compounds contain very short platinum-to-mercury donor bonds supported by two carboxylate groups, along with an unusual dimercurated acetylacetone moiety. The reactions of [Pd(C∧P)(acac-O,O′)] (1′) with HgX 2 (X ) Br, I, CH 3 COO, CF 3 COO) proceed mainly (X ) Br, CH 3 COO, CF 3 COO) with substitution of the acac-O,O′ ligand by X from the coordination environment of the palladium center to give the binuclear derivatives [Pd(C∧P)(µ-X)] 2 (X ) Br, CH 3 COO, CF 3 COO), hindering the obtention of palladium-mercury compounds by this route.