Stepwise formation of “organometallic boxes” with half-sandwich Ir, Rh and Ru fragments

Octanuclear complexes with half-sandwich Ir, Rh and Ru fragments and tetra(4-pyridyl)porphyrin (L1) and oxalate (L2) spacer ligands [(Cp*M)4L1]2[L2]4 (M = Ir (6a) M = Rh (6b)), [((cymene)Ru)4(L1)]2[L2]4 were prepared and characterized.