In principle, suitable chemical design may produce homodinuclear or heterodinuclear metal complexes capable of specific DNA-DNA or DNA-protein cross-linking modes. This paper reports on the synthesis, characterization, and chemical properties of [{cis,fac-(RuCl2(Me(2)SO)(3))}(mu-NH2(CH2)(4)NH2){cis(Pt(NH3)Cl-2)}]. The chemical behavior is contrasted with the mononuclear cis,fac-[RuCl2(Me(2)SO)(3)L], L = NH3 and imidazole, to judge the steric and electronic effects of the linked platinum group.