Isolation and characterization of the first circular single-stranded polymetallic lanthanide-containing helicate

A thorough examination of the disassembly of bimetallic triple-stranded lanthanide helicates [Ln2(Li)3]6+(stoichiometry S=m/n= 2/3 = 0.67, global complexity GC=m+n= 2 + 3 = 5) in excess of metals shows the competitive formation of standard linear bimetallic complexes [Ln2(Li)2]6+(S= 1.0, GC= 4), and circular trimetallic single-stranded helicates [Ln3(Li)3]9+(S= 1.0, GC= 6).