The chemistry of 4d and 4f metals was investigated at the undergraduate level in an effort to incorporate f-element chemistry in the curriculum. This was accomplished through microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) coordination compounds [Eu(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 3] and [Ru(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 2], and embedding the coordination compounds in polystyrene (PS) beads. Through a combination of 1-D/2-D spectroscopic techniques, the metal-phen coordination compounds in solution and in the solid state were probed. It was validated that the strong interaction between the phen ligand and Ru[superscript 2+] is due to the diffuse nature of the 4d orbitals. The interaction resulted in a low energy MLCT band, which provides opportunities for excitation at lower energies using 4d metals. In contrast, the phen ligand and core Eu[superscript 3+] 4f orbitals exhibited a weak interaction. This was supported by variable-temperature NMR (VT-NMR) measurements, which revealed relatively well-separated proton resonances with minimal differences in chemical shifts for the phen ligand at 25°C and the [Eu(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 3] compound at -42°C, indicating a weak Eu-N interaction. The weak interaction resulted in the formation of an aqua-containing complex in solution evidenced by emission lifetime measurements. Despite the weak interaction, selective excitation (via ligand [pi]-[pi]* versus direct f-f) of the Eu[superscript 3+] compound allowed for color tuning, leading to the generation of a cool white light. Electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) of the metal-embedded PS beads indicated relatively monodispersed distribution of the metal complexes in the polymer.