Rational serendipity: "undirected" synthesis of a large {MnCu} complex from pre-formed MnII building blocks.

Use of an aminopolyalcohol-based MnII complex in solvothermal CuII chemistry leads to a rare example of a high nuclearity heterometallic {MnCu} system, in which four CuII(H1Edte) units trap an inner {MnCuII} oxide core.