Manganese(II) chloride reacts with trimethylsilyl triflate (TMS(OTf) where OTf = -OSO2CF3) in a 1:1 mixture of acetonitrile and tetrahydrofuran and after recrystallization affords the linear coordination polymer [Mn-II (CH3CN)(2)(OTf)(2)](n) Each distorted octahedral manganese(II) center in the polymeric chain has trans-acetonitriles and the remaining equatorial coordination positions are occupied by the bridging triflate anions. Dissolving [Mn-II(CH3CN)(2)(OTf)(2)](n) in equal volumes of acetonitrile and pyridine followed by recrystallization with diethyl ether yields trans-[Mn-II(C5H5N)(4)(OTf)(2)]. The distorted octahedral geometry of the manganese center features monodentate trans-triflate anions and four equatorial pyridines. Exposure of either [Mn-II (CH3CN)(2)(OTf)(2)](n) or [Mn-II(C5H5N)(4)(OTf)(2)] to water readily gives [Mn-II(H2O)(6)](OTf)(2). XRD reveals hydrogen-bonding interactions between the [Mn-II(H2O)(6)](2+) cation and the triflate anion. All three of these species are easily crystallized and provide convenient sources of manganese(II) for further synthetic elaboration. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.