Complexes of 3-amino-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazole)-tetrazine) (NH(2)TzDMP, 1) and 3-(3,3'-dinitroazetidine)-6-(3,5-dimethylpyrazole)tetrazine) (DNAZTzDMP, 2) with first row transition metal centers were synthesized. Reactions of Fe-II(H2O)(6)(BF4)(2) and Fe(NO3)(3)center dot 9H(2)O with 1 and 2 both led to complexes of the form [(RTzDMP)(3)Fe]X-2 (X = BF4, R = NH2 (3), DNAZ (4); X = NO3, R = NH2 (5), DNAZ (6)), which showed intense MLCT bands in the visible region of the spectrum. Ligands 1 and 2 also reacted with Cu-II(NO3)(2)center dot 5/2H(2)O to form [(RTzDMP)(2)Cu(NO3)][NO3] (R = NH2 (7), DNAZ (8)) in addition to reacting with Cu-I(CH3CN)(4)(PF6) to form [(RTzDMP)(2)Cu][PF6] (R = NH2 (9), DNAZ (10)). Lastly reactions of 1 and 2 with Co(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O and Ni(NO3)(2)center dot 6H(2)O led to [(NH(2)TzDMP)(2)Co(H2O) (NO3)] [NO3] (11), [(DNAZTzDMP)(2)Co(H2O)(2)] [NO3](2) (12), [(NH(2)TzDMP)(3)Ni][NO3](2) (13), and [(DNAZTzDMP)(2)Ni(H2O)(2)[NO3](2) (14). The complexes display rich electrochemical and photophysical properties that are unaffected by derivation with explosive groups.