The segmental ligands bis{1-alkyl-2-[6'-(N,N-diethylcarbamoyl)pyridin-2'-yl]benzimidazol-5-yl}methane (alkyl = methyl (L(5)), ethyl (L(6))) react with lanthanide perchlorates (Ln = La, Eu, Gd, Tb) in acetonitrile to yield the f-f dinuclear homotopic triple-stranded helicates [Ln(2)(L(i)())(3)](6+) (i = 5, 6) under thermodynamic control. The crystal structure of [Tb(2)(L(6))(3)](ClO(4))(3)(MeCN)(2)(THF)(0.5)(EtOH)(0.5) (11a, C(124)H(145)N(26)O(31)Cl(6)Tb(2), triclinic, P&onemacr;, Z = 2) shows the wrapping of the ligands about a pseudo-C(3) axis passing through the metal ions. The Tb ions are 9-coordinate in facial pseudo-tricapped trigonal prismatic sites and are separated by 9.06 Å. (1)H-NMR and ES-MS data establish that the triple helical structure is maintained in solution. Spectrophotometric titrations (Ln = La, Eu) indicate log beta(23) = 24-25 and the formation of a 2:2 complex [Ln(2)(L(5))(2)](6+) (log beta(22) = 19-20). Quantum yield determination in acetonitrile shows that the terminal N,N-diethylcarboxamide groups in L(5) favor efficient intramolecular L(5) --> Eu(III) energy transfers leading to strong Eu-centered red luminescence, 50 times as intense as the luminescence observed when the carboxamide groups are replaced by substituted benzimidazole units in [Eu(2)(L(4))(3)](6+). Resistance toward hydrolysis also results from the use of carboxamide groups, and no quenching of luminescence is observed for [Eu(2)(L(5))(3)](6+) in moist acetonitrile up to 2.5 M water. The crucial role played by carboxamide groups for the control of structural, electronic, and photophysical properties is discussed. Replacing perchlorates by triflates allows the isolation of the dinuclear double-stranded helicate [Eu(2)(L(6))(2)(CF(3)SO(3))(4)(H(2)O(2))(2)](CF(3)SO(3))(2)(MeOH)(2)(H(2)O)(5)(.5), whose crystal structure (13a, C(85)H(106)Eu(2)F(18)N(16)O(30)S(6), monoclinic, C2/m, Z = 2) reveals a side-by-side arrangement of the two strands and 9-coordinate Eu ions linked through hydrogen-bonded water molecules.