The crystal structures of thirteen AgI coordination polymers involving py-CONH-(CH2)n-py (py=pyridine; n=0, 1) derivatives were determined by means of single-crystal X-ray analyses. All of the compounds form one-dimensional chains composed of AgI atoms and bridging ligands with formulas [[Ag(py-CONH-(CH2)n-py)][X]]n (X=PF6 -, ClO4 -, BF4 -, and NO3 - with solvent molecules). The unsymmetrical coordination environments around AgI atoms induce direction in the chains, that is, -[NH-(CH2)n-py-Ag-py-CO]-, which resembles the alignment of amino acid chains in proteins. In compounds [[Ag(4-pia)][X]]n (1 supersetX; 4-pia=N-(4-pyridyl)isonicotinamide; X=PF6 -, ClO4 -, BF4 -, and NO3 -), [[Ag(4-pmia)][X]]n (2 supersetX; 4-pmia=N-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)isonicotinamide; X=PF6 -, ClO4 -H2O, and NO3 -H2O), and [[Ag(3-pmia)][X]]n (3 supersetX; 3-pmia=N-(pyridin-3-ylmethyl)isonicotinamide; X=PF6 -, ClO4 -, BF4 -, and NO3 -H2O), each chain is aligned parallel to neighboring chains, but adjacent chains run in the opposite direction. Particularly in [[Ag(3-pmia)][PF6]]n (3 supersetPF6 -), [[Ag(3-pmia)][ClO4]]n (3 supersetClO4 -), and [[Ag(3-pmia)][BF4]]n (3 supersetBF4 -), amide moieties of 3-pmia ligands are complementarily hydrogen bonded to amide moieties in neighboring chains, as in the beta-sheet motif in proteins. On the other hand, in [[Ag(4-pmna)][PF6]MeOH]n (4-pmna=N-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)nicotinamide), all chains in the crystal form left-handed (4 a supersetPF6 -MeOH) and right-handed (4 b supersetPF6 -MeOH) helical structures with a helical pitch of 28 A. Heterogeneous anion exchanges proceed reversibly in 2, but not in 3, which provides information about the thermal stabilities of the crystals.

The organic precursor bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)TTFMe2 (3, TTF = tetrathiafulvalene) was prepared as a 1:1 mixture of the cis and trans isomers. Pure samples of 3‐cis and 3‐trans were obtained by crystallization and identified by XRD analysis. The treatment of pure 3‐trans and a 1:1 mixture of 3‐cis/trans with (i) potassium carbonate, (ii) the iron complex Cp*(dppe)FeCl [5, Cp* = η5‐C5Me5, dppe = 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphanyl)ethane] in the presence of KPF6, and (iii) tBuOK provided Cp*(dppe)Fe–C≡C–TTFMe2–C≡C–Fe(dppe)Cp* as the pure geometric isomer 6‐trans (85 %) and as the 60:40 mixture 6‐cis/trans (63 %), respectively. The oxidation of 6‐trans with [(C5H5)2Fe]PF6 gave [6‐trans][PF6]n (n = 1–3). Visible, IR, near‐IR (NIR), and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy together with DFT data show that [6‐trans][PF6] is a class II mixed‐valence complex (Hab = 85 cm–1) in which the spin distribution depends on the conformation of the molecule. Intramolecular electron transfer occurs through single‐step tunneling and a multistep hoping mechanism. The triplet state is thermally accessible for [6‐trans][PF6]2.

Treatment of [Cp*(dppe)Fe-C≡C-TTFMe3] (1) with Ag[PF6] (3 equiv) in DMF provides the binuclear complex [Cp*(dppe)Fe=C=C=TTFMe2 =CH-CH=TTFMe2 =C=C=Fe(dppe)Cp*][PF6]2 (2[PF6 ]2) isolated as a deep-blue powder in 69 % yield. EPR monitoring of the reaction and comparison of the experimental and calculated EPR spectra allowed the identification of the radical salt [Cp*(dppe)Fe=C=C=TTFMe2 =CH][PF6]2 ([1-CH][PF6]) an intermediate of the reaction, which results from the activation of the methyl group attached in vicinal position with respect to the alkynyl-iron on the TTF ligand by the triple oxidation of 1 leading to its deprotonation by the solvent. The dimerization of [1-CH][PF6] through carbon-carbon bond formation provides 2[PF6]2. The cyclic voltammetry (CV) experiments show that 2[PF6]2 is subject to two sequential well-reversible one-electron reductions yielding the complexes 2[PF6] and 2. The CV also shows that further oxidation of 2[PF6]2 generates 2[PF6]n (n=3-6) at the electrode. Treatment of 2[PF6]2 with KOtBu provides 2[PF6] and 2 as stable powders. The salts 2[PF6] and 2[PF6]2 were characterized by XRD. The electronic structures of 2(n+) (n=0-2) were computed. The new complexes were also characterized by NMR, IR, Mössbauer, EPR, UV/Vis and NIR spectroscopies. The data show that the three complexes 2[PF6]n are iron(II) derivatives in the ground state. In the solid state, the dication 2(2+) is diamagnetic and has a bis(allenylidene-iron) structure with one positive charge on each iron building block. In solution, as a result of the thermal motion of the metal-carbon backbone, the triplet excited state becomes thermally accessible and equilibrium takes place between singlet and triplet states. In 2[PF6], the charge and the spin are both symmetrically distributed on the carbon bridge and only moderately on the iron and TTFMe2 electroactive centers.