The synthesis of tripbipy, a new substituted bipyridine ligand (6,6'-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)-2,2'-bipyridine), and the syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties of the first coordination compounds based on this ligand are described. Tripbipy was synthesized by the Suzuki coupling of 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl boronic acid and 6,6'-dibromo-2,2'-bipyridine. Reported here are the tripbipy complexes of five late first row transition metal chlorides (MCl2; M=Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn). Four of the complexes MCl(2)tripbipy (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Zn) crystallize in the space group P2(1)/c and are isomorphous with one solvent molecule of crystallization. The Complex CuCl(2)tripbipy crystallizes in the space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with two solvent molecules of crystallization. All MCl(2)tripbipy complexes are four coordinate and contain distorted tetrahedral metal centers. CuCl(2)tripbipy shows a pseudo Jahn-Teller distortion, and X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) in a toluene glass gives approximate g(perpendicular to,parallel to) values of 2.2 and 2.1. Magnetic measurements (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu) are consistent with high spin d(n) configurations (n = 6-9, S = 2, 3/2, 1, 1/2) tetrahedral complexes and give chi T-M values at 300 K of 3.56, 2.10, 1,01, and 0.37 cm(3) M-1 K, respectively.