Clathrochelate-based bipyridyl ligands of nanoscale dimensions: easy-to-access building blocks for supramolecular chemistry

Boronic acid-capped clathrochelates were used to build rigid, linear bipyridyl ligands with adjustable lengths between 1.5 and 5.4 nm. The syntheses can be accomplished in one or two steps from simple starting materials. The potential of these ligands as building blocks for metallasupramolecular chemistry is unveiled through the preparation of a discrete metallamacrocyclic structure and a heterometallic coordination polymer.