Self-Assembly of L-Cysteinato Trinuclear Cations into Metallosupramolecular Architectures Controlled by Protons, Metal Ions, and Chirality

Complete control: Versatile self‐assembly of the L‐cysteinato CoIIIHgIICoIII trinuclear complex into dimeric, metallohelix, and metallocage structures, which is induced by deprotonation of L‐cysteine carboxyl groups, is reported. Remarkably, the homochiral (ΛLΛL‐CoIIIHgIICoIII)6 metallocage, which encapsulates an aqua metal ion, was formed from the meso‐like ΔLΛL isomer of this trinuclear complex, as well as from its ΛLΛL isomer (see scheme).