Structural data for known and newly obtained copper(II) complexes with 2,2´;6´,2 terpyrid ine and substituted malonic (dimethylmalonic, 1,1 cyclopropane and 1,1 cyclobutanedicar boxylic) acid dianions R 2 mal 2-were used to show that the coordination environment of the metallocenter depends on the (O 2 C)C-C-C(CO 2 ) angle. A chelate coordination of the R 2 mal 2-dianion is realized for 1,1 cyclopropanedicarboxylate anion (~122.9), while the di methylmalonate and 1,1 cyclobutanedicarboxylate anions (107.4-110.8) are characterized by a monodentate coordination.It is known that the design of coordination compounds is frequently determined by the result of the selection of certain conditions (electronic or geometric) allowing to purposefully synthesize mono and polynuclear complex es of various architecture and composition. The means to control composition and structure of metal complexes in clude the use of ligands of different denticity, introduction in /removal from the metal atom coordination sphere of labile molecules blocking the coordination sites, "switch ing" of polydentate ligand functions (for example, from chelating to bridging). Carboxylate groups in transition metal complexes can exhibit monodentate, chelating, bridging, or chelate bridging types of coordination. The importance of studies of approaches to the assemblage of such complexes is determined by the necessity to synthe size new types of compounds, promising as the compo nents in various areas of application, such as, for example, development of photoactive systems, catalysis, nonlinear optics, or magnetism. 1-6Among polycarboxylic acids, malonic acid derivatives R 2 C(COOH) 2 (H 2 R 2 mal) attract special attention. The ability of their dianions to serve as both chelating and bridging ligands is important for the formation of stable structural blocks capable of forming more complicated architectures. For example, transition metal ions in the presence of a two fold excess of R 2 mal 2-can form mono nuclear fragments of the formula [M(R 2 mal) 2 L x ] 2-(M = V, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn; L is the neutral ligand, for example, H 2 O, x = 0-2), which depending on the cation nature form molecular or polymeric ionic compounds. 7-12 The blockage of some positions of the metallocenter coor dination surrounding with donor polydentate molecules can result in the change of the polymeric structure topolo gy, 13-17 leading to different types of coordination of carb oxylate anions or even to the formation of discrete mole cules. 18-22 Thus, in the work 23 it was demonstrated that the reaction of Cu(ClO 4 ) 2 , Na 2 mal, and 1,10 phenan throline (1,10 phen), depending on the reaction and crys tallization conditions, can lead to molecular complexes of different nuclearity or a coordination polymer based on the fragment {Cu(mal)(1,10 phen)}.Therefore, it can be suggested that a deliberate con finement of the metallocenter coordination sphere by means of strongly bound polydentate (for example, tri dentate) ligands would make it possible to find approaches to the di...