Two metallosynthons, namely (Et 4 N) 2 [Ni(NpPepS)] (1) and (Et 4 N) 2 [Ni(PhPepS)] (2) containing carboxamido-N and thiolato-S as donors have been used to model the bimetallic M p -Ni d subsite of the A-cluster of the enzyme ACS/CODH. A series of sulfurbridged Ni/Cu dinuclear and trinuclear complexes (3-10) have been synthesized to explore their redox properties and affinity of the metal centers toward CO. The structures of (Et 4 N) 2 (8), and [Ni(dppe)Ni(PhPepS)]•CH 2 Cl 2 (10•CH 2 Cl 2 ) have been determined by crystallography. The Ni d mimics 1 and 2 resist reduction and exhibit no affinity toward CO. In contrast, the sulfur-bridged Ni center (designated Ni C ) in the trinuclear models 5-8 are amenable to reduction and binds CO in the Ni(I) state. Also, the sulfurbridged Ni C center can be removed from the trimers (5-8) by treatment with 1,10-phenanthroline much like the "labile Ni" from the enzyme. The dinuclear Ni-Ni models 9 and 10 resemble the Ni p -Ni d subsite of the A-cluster more closely and only the modeled Ni p site of the dimers can be reduced. The Ni(I)-Ni(II) species display EPR spectra typical of a Ni(I) center in distorted trigonal bipyramidal and distorted tetrahedral geometries for 9 red and 10 red , respectively. Both species bind CO and the CO-adducts 9 red -CO and 10 red -CO display strong ν co at 2044 and 1997 cm -1 , respectively. The reduction of 10 is reversible. The CO-affinity of 10 in the reduced state and the ν co value of 10 red -CO closely resemble the CO-bound reduced A-cluster (ν co = 1996 cm -1 ).