Six new pyrazine-modulated N,N'-bis(alpha-pyridyl)-2,6-diaminopyridine ligands (PMN5) were synthesized and their complexes studied. Reaction of copper(II) with the ligand that contained one pyrazine ring in its terminal position led to formation of a one-dimensional zigzag complex whereas copper(II) reactions with ligands containing three pyrazine rings or one pyrazine ring in its middle position yielded straight one-dimensional complexes. A 2-D complex was produced from the ligand with two pyrazine rings at both terminals. When nickel(II) was introduced, a 3-D network was obtained from the three-pyrazine-modulated ligand. Researches on variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements revealed excellent Heisenberg chains with weak antiferromagnetic interaction of J values from -2 to -3 cm(-1)viasigma and pi pathways in straight one-dimensional complexes between the Cu(II) centers separated by 6.8-6.9 A. The zigzag one-dimensional complex showed very poor magnetic coupling. The two-dimensional compound showed significant ferromagnetic interaction in spite of the Cu-Cu distance of 7.2 A. Ferromagnetic coupling was discussed and attributed to the unusual coordination mode of in-plane and out-of-plane linkage of bridging pyrazine rings. The three-dimensional heterometal Cu(II)-Ni(II) compound showed weak antiferromagnetic interaction, which was satisfactorily fitted with J=-2.4 cm(-1) following a one-dimensional theoretical model including MFA.