Reaction of α-pyridoin and N-phenyl-o-phenylenediamine affords 2-(2-(phenylamino)phenylimino)-1,2-di(pyridin-2-yl)ethanol (L) which undergoes cyclization to a chiral diimine, 2-methoxy-1-phenyl-2,3-di(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2-dihydroquinoxaline, L(OMe) (conjugated 14πe system) in the presence of zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) ions affording [Zn(L(OMe))Cl2] (1), [Cd2(L(OMe))2Cl4] (2) and [Hg2(L(OMe))2Cl4] (3) complexes. Ligand L and complexes 1-3 are substantiated by elemental analyses, mass, IR, (1)H NMR and UV-vis spectra including the single-crystal X-ray structures of 1 and 3. The possibility of the atropisomerism of L is restricted in cyclic L(OMe). L and complexes 1-3 are fluorescent in fluid solutions at 298 K (CH2Cl2: 1, λ(ex) = 470 nm, λ(em) = 627 nm, Φ = 0.014, τ(avg) = 2.5 ns; 2, λ(ex) = 430 nm, λ(em) = 599 nm, Φ = 0.08, τ(avg) = 7.6 ns; 3, λ(ex) = 415 nm, λ(em) = 600 nm, Φ = 0.021, τ(avg) = 2.8 ns). Time-resolved emission spectra (TRES) established that the two-component lifetimes of 1-3 are due to the existence of two conformers. Density functional theory (DFT) and time dependent (TD) DFT calculations authenticated that 1-3 complexes are fluorescent due to intra-ligand charge transfer (ILCT) to the π(diimines)* orbital.