Chelating ability of a conjugated redox active tetrathiafulvalenyl-acetylacetonate ligand

A novel tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) bearing a conjugated β-diketone moiety (TTFacacH) has been synthesized and fully characterized. The chelating ability of its enolate anion (TTFacac) has been investigated with [MII(OAc)2 · xH2O] (OAc = acetate and M = Zn, Cu and Ni) leading to complexes, where the metal center is coordinated by two TTFacac. Modulation of the redox properties of the TTF can be achieved through the simple change of the two apical ligands which completed the octahedral coordination geometry. This redox active ligand shows promising features for the elaboration of hybrid organic–inorganic building blocks.