Stepwise construction of a metallocatenane based on non-labile bis(terpyridine)-Cd II complexes.

A series of metalloligands bearing homoleptic 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (tpy)-Cd II complexes has been successfully synthesized. The formation of ML 1 was accomplished through a sequence of Suzuki-Miyaura coupling and complexation reactions, offering an alternative method to produce tpy-based metalloligands under relatively mild conditions. Moreover, the metallomacrocycle C 1 and metallocatenane C 2 were self-assembled from heteroleptic complexation reactions involving ML 1 and suitable counterparts.