By self-assembly of a Salamo-type ligand H2L [H2L = 1,2-bis(3-methoxysalicylideneaminooxy)ethane] with Ni(OAc)(2)4H(2)O, Ce(NO3)(3)6H(2)O, and H(2)bdc (H(2)bdc = terephthalic acid), a novel Ni-II-Ce-III heterometallic complex, [{Ni(L)Ce(NO3)(2)(CH3OH)(DMF)}(2)(bdc)], was obtained. Two crystallographically equivalent [Ni(L)Ce(NO3)(2)(CH3OH)(DMF)] moieties lie in the inversion center, and are linked by one bdc(2-) ligand leading to a heterotetranuclear dimer, in which the carboxylato group bridges the Ni-II and Ce-III atoms. Moreover, the photophysical properties of the Ni-II-Ce-III complex were studied.