Side chain-directed complementary cis-coordination of two pyridines on Pd(II): Selective multicomponent assembly of square-, rectangular-, and trigonal prism-shaped molecules

This paper describes a new strategy to regulate multicomponent assembly from two kinds of pyridine-based ligands and cis-protected Pd(II) ions. The introduction of sterically hindered substituents to only one of the two ligands directs the complementary cis-coordination of the two lingads on the Pd(II) center, leading to the selective multicomponent assembly of two- and three-dimensional polynuclear Pd(II) complexes (e.g., square-, rectangular-, and trigonal prism-shaped molecules).