“…The first metal coordination compound containing the 3,2′:6′,3″-terpyridine (3,2′:6′,3″-tpy) domain was reported in 2008 by Grafino et al and demonstrated metal binding by the outer pyridine rings of 4′-phenyl-3,2′:6′,3″-terpyridine ( 1 , Scheme 1 ) in the discrete molecular complex [Zn 2 (μ- 1 )(acac) 4 ]·H 2 O (Hacac = pentane-2,4-dione) [ 1 ]. This ditopic coordination environment is typical of 3,2′:6′,3″-tpy, although coordination through a single pyridine ring has also been observed, often when a coordinatively non-innocent functionality such as a carboxylate has been introduced into the 3,2′:6′,3″-tpy unit [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] or when protonation of a pyridine ring occurs [ 12 , 13 ]. Compared to 4,2′:6′,4”-tpy ( Scheme 1 ), 3,2′:6′,3″-tpy is conformational flexible ( Scheme 2 ), allowing the metal-binding domain to adapt to different environments imposed either by the coordination geometry of a metal center or to spatial constraints within the crystal lattice.…”