Six homo-or heteroleptic tricationic Ir(R 1-tpy)(R 2-tpy) 3+ complexes (Ir1-Ir6, R 1 /R 2 = Ph, 4′-N(CH 3) 2 Ph, pyren-1-yl, or 4′-{2-[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy}Ph, tpy = 2,2';6',2"terpyridine) were synthesized and tested for photodynamic therapy (PDT) effects. The ground-and excited-state characteristics of these complexes were studied systematically via spectroscopic methods and quantum chemistry calculations. All complexes possessed intraligand charge transfer (1 ILCT) / metal-to-ligand charge transfer (1 MLCT) dominated transition(s) in their low-energy absorption bands, which red-shifted with the increased electron-releasing strength of the R 1 /R 2 substituent. Five of the complexes exhibited ligand-centered 3 π,π*/ 3 ILCT/ 3 MLCT emission. With a stronger electron-releasing R 1 /R 2 substituent, the degree of charge transfer contribution increased, leading to a decrease of the emission quantum yield. When the 4′-N(CH 3) 2 Ph substituent was introduced on both tpy ligands, the emission of Ir3 was completely quenched. Our *