Supramolecular squares of dirhodium(ii) tetracarboxylate: combining carboxylate-exchange and metal-ligand coordination for self-assemblyElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Full synthetic and experimental details. CCDC 862373 and 862374. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c2cc35206k

Square self-assemblies are obtained from dirhodium( ii ) tetracarboxylate complexes using an isonicotinate-type ligand to act as an equatorial ligand to one dirhodium unit and an axial ligand to another. It is shown that the supramolecular squares are formed selectively out of a number of possible compounds in the dynamic carboxylate exchange library. Derivatisation of one carboxylate ligand of a dirhodium tetracarboxylate leads to selective formation of molecular squares.