The first mononuclear iron(II)-catecholate complex, [Fe-II(6TLA)(DBCH)](ClO4) (1), has been synthesized as a model for the enzyme-substrate complex of extradiol-cleaving catechol dioxygenases. Complex 1 features a bidentate but monoanionic DBCH ligand, which gives rise to significantly different Fe-O(catecholate) bond lengths. The short Fe-O bond in 1 nearly matches the 1.93 Angstrom Fe-O distance found for the enzyme-substrate complex of catechol 2,3-dioxygenase, making 1 a plausible structural model for this enzyme complex.