The parent tetrathiafulvalene-terpyridine dyad: synthesis and metal binding properties

The still unknown parent tetrathiafulvalene-terpyridine- ligand 5 (namely TTF-terpy), was synthesized through a straightforward strategy. The dyad exhibits an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) which was evidenced by UV-vis electronic absorption. Complexation of various transition metal cations by this redox-active ligand was studied by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy as well as by cyclic voltammetry titration studies, supporting the dual functional character of this system. In addition, these results demonstrate that ligand 5 is a suitable building block for the preparation of electroactive neutral as well as charged metal complexes.