Single-step synthesis of a heterometallic [Cu2PdL4]2+ hybrid metal-organic coordination cage

Traditional methods of assembling low-symmetry heterometallic cage architectures are limited to stepwise construction and combinations of inert and labile metal ions, affording complex, anisotropic cage structures by sacrificing synthetic ease. Herein, a heterometallic [Cu2PdL4]2+ lantern-type cage has been assembled in a single self-assembly step through the use of a heteroditopic ligand with two different metal-binding groups. The resultant cage complex is a fusion of two common lantern-type cage motifs – carboxylate-based metal–organic Cu4L4 cages and pyridyl-based Pd2L4 coordination cages. Evidence for heterometallic cage formation in solution was provided by 1H and DOSY NMR spectroscopy and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) data, while circular dichroism (CD) spectra confirmed the helical nature of the assembly. It is envisioned that the simple design strategy presented herein will ease the assembly of other structurally complex, low-symmetry cage architectures.