Metal-exchangeable macrocycles: from a bismetallo–Ru2/Zn triangle to a Ru2/Fe triangular assembly

Abstract

Bismetallic triangles T4 (Ru₂/Fe) and T5 (Ru₂/Zn) were effectively prepared via a stepwise method from a 60°-bent bisterpyridne. Compared with obtaining T4 by mixing metallo–organic ligand L2 with Fe²⁺ directly and refluxing at a higher temperature (85 °C), the site to site metallo-transformation from T5 to T4 was employed at RT by simply adding Fe²⁺ to T5. The structures were fully confirmed by the NMR, ESI-mass, UV-vis absorption and emission spectroscopies.