The reaction of 2H-benzotriazole (1) with dichloroacetic acid leads to the symmetric bis(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)methane (2c) in 40 % yield. Deprotonation of 2c at the bridging methylene group and subsequent carboxylation with CO 2 yielded the new tripodal N,N,O ligand bis(2H-benzotriazol-2-yl)acetic acid Hbbta (3). The sterically less demanding sodium 3,3-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propionate Na[btp] (5) was obtained by saponification of methyl 3,3-bis(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)propionate (4). The heteroscorpionate ligand 3 was treated with [MnBr(CO) 5 ] and [RuCl 2 (PPh 3 ) 3 ] to form the manganese tricarbonyl complex [Mn(bbta)(CO) 3 ] (6) and the air stable ruthenium complex [Ru(bbta)Cl(PPh 3 ) 2 ] (7). DFT calculations and the IR spectra of the carbonyl complex 6 reveal ligand 3