Polyfunctionalized tetrathiafulvalenes for advanced materials

Four topics developed in our group are presented. They deal with i) 1,4-dithiafulven-6-yl subtituted TTFs or analogs of TTF behaving as space extended, S-rich and hypervalent strong $\pi $-donors, ii) fullerene C$_{60}$-TTF assemblies prone to undergo intramolecular electron transfers, iii) O, S and N crown ether-TTF assemblies, behaving as redox switchable metal cation complexing agents, and iv) dendrimeric molecules end-capped with 12 TTF groups, able to develop intra and interdendrimeric electron and charge transfer in their $\raise.5ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 1$}\kern-.1em/ \kern-.15em\lower.25ex\hbox{$\scriptstyle 2$} $ mixed valence state. Hence, the synthesis, electrochemistry, spectroscopy and physical or chemical properties of these systems will be presented. Key words. Tetrathiafulvalene (TTF), bis and tetrakis(1,4-dithiafulven-6-yl) substituted TTFs, crown ether TTF assemblies, C$_{60}$ fullerene TTF assemblies, TTF dendrimers, charge transfer salts, electron trasfer, organic metals