Coordination-driven self-assembly of discrete Ru(6)–Pt(6) prismatic cages

The coordination-driven self-assembly of two new Ru(6)–Pt(6) hexanuclear trigonal prismatic cages comprising arene–ruthenium(II) clips (1a(NO(3))(2) and 1b(NO(3))(2)) and a tritopic platinum(II) metalloligand 2 has been performed in methanol at room temperature. The [3 + 2] hexanuclear cages 3a and 3b were isolated in good yields and characterized by well-known spectroscopic techniques including multinuclear NMR, mass spectrometry, UV–vis and infrared studies. Geometry optimization revealed the shapes and sizes of these hexanuclear prismatic cages. The combination of ruthenium and platinum metal center in a one-pot self-assembly reaction showcases the construction of aesthetically elegant heterometallic structures in supramolecular chemistry leading to the formation of a single major product.