A new prearranged tripodant ligand N,N′,N″-trimethyl-N,N′,N″-tris(3-pyridyl)-1,3,5-benzene tricarboxamide is easily obtained via the N-methyl amide effect

The N-methyl amide cis generating effect has been utilised to create a new prearranged tripodant ligand in two synthetic steps from benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid. Crystals of the ligand itself and of complexes with metal salts such as silver(I) triflate, copper(I) and copper(II) chloride and ruthenium(II) chloride have been prepared and the crystal structures solved by analysis of X-ray diffraction data.