A luminescent edge-interlocked prismatic heteroleptic metallocage assembled through a ligand replacement reaction

A luminescent edge-interlocked heteroleptic metallocage based on Cu 3 (pyrazolate) 3 was prepared through a ligand replacement reaction from a homoleptic metallocage and a new ligand. Its structure was confirmed by XRD and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Theoretical calculations revealed the new ligand was evidently responsible for the bathochromic shift of the optimal excitation. This work provides a heteroleptic strategy to regulate the interlocking fashion and photophysical mechanism of metallocages based on Cu 3 (pyrazolate) 3 . A luminescent edge-interlocked heteroleptic metallocages based on Cu 3 (pyrazolate) 3 was prepared through a ligand replacement reaction from a homoleptic metallocage and a new ligand.