More than half a century of intense investigation in coordination compounds has laid a firm foundation for our understanding of the ligand fields in transition-metal complexes. [1] Complexes of the heavier 4d and 5d metals are generally low spin, whereas the spin of 3d metal complexes can be high or low, depending on ligand characteristics. The number and type of donor atoms, ligand substituents, and the presence or absence of chelate rings all influence metal spin states. A combination of data-mining and detailed computational study have quantified recently these empirical observations. [2,3] In spite of such variety, there are still some types of metal complexes that are rarely observed.The stereospinomers [3] of high-spin, square-planar complexes, for example, are extremely rare because the large separation of the d [7] is known whose high-spin examples are subtly dependent on ligand substitution. Until the structure was confirmed [8] as tetrameric with octahedral coordination at the Co center, [Co(acac) 2 ] was postulated to have square-planar geometry based on magnetic and spectroscopic data that differed from tetrahedral complexes.[9] A search of the Cambridge Structural Database (V 5.32) [10] [22] Ni. [20] Spectroscopic [20] and computational [18] work have shown that these fluorinated ligands are medium field ligands, on par with OH À and F À , and stronger than NCO À . The electron-withdrawing power of extensively fluorinated ligands reduces the p-donor character of the O atom, such that bridging is not observed and mononuclear species are readily prepared.More recently, we have begun studies of the chelating perfluoropinacolate ligand, ddfp 2À . [23] Magnetic susceptibility and elemental analysis data were reported for K 2 [M(ddfp) 2 ], (M = Mn, Ni, Cu) for which square-planar geometry was proposed.[24] An octahedral bis-H 2 O adduct, (Me 4 N) 2 [Co-(OH 2 ) 2 (ddfp) 2 ] has been proposed based on elemental analysis data. [25] Despite the relative ease in making the [M(ddfp) 2 ] 2À complexes with first-row transition metals, no examples of M = Co II or Fe II have been published. We now report a highspin, square-planar Co II complex, {K(DME) 2 } 2 [Co(ddfp) 2 ] (1), and the analogous high-spin, square-planar Fe II complex {K(DME) 2 } 2 [Fe(ddfp) 2 ] (2). We also provide a discussion of three other square-planar {MO 4 } species from the recent literature whose composition and spin-state characteristics clarify the ligand requirements for the highly unusual highspin, square-planar combination in late row 3d metals.Compound 1 has been prepared as pale pink crystals as shown in Equation (1), and is stable in an inert atmosphere and in various organic solvents, but yields a brown oil upon prolonged exposure to air. Iron-containing 2, and the Zn II derivative, {K(DME) 2 } 2 [Zn(ddfp) 2 ] (3), were similarly prepared as purple-pink, and colorless crystals, respectively. No