Chemistry of tetracyanoethylene (TCNE): From TCNE to dicyanomethylacetate

In the presence of CoCl2 · 6H2O, the reaction of TCNE (tetracyanoethylene) with CH3OH forms a dicyanomethylacetate molecule, which has been obtained as one solvent molecule in one new compound {[Co(bpy)2CN2][(NC)2C–CO2CH3]} · 2H2O (1). It was characterized by IR spectra, UV–Vis spectra, and cyclic voltammogram. Its structure was determined by X-ray crystallography: 1 crystallizes in P2(1)/n with a = 13.3368(17), b = 12.5299(16), c = 16.074(2) Å, α = 90, β = 94.6320(10), γ = 90°, and Z = 2.