Circular serendipity: In situ ligand transformation for the self-assembly of an hexadecametallic [CuII16] wheel

Abstract

A [CuII16] wheel was isolated serendipitously from the reaction of acetylacetone dioxime with copper(ii) chloride and lanthanide ions in a reaction initially designed to produce heterometallic 3d–4f cages. The ligand has been transformed in situ to three different forms, all found within the [Cu16] wheel, with the original ligand completely absent. © The Partner Organisations 2014.