Syntheses of CuI polymetallic assemblies from reaction of ligands bearing the 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)phosphole fragment with CuII precursorsElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Preparation of 3, 4, 5, 5 and 6, spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction data. CCDC 927129927123. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c3cc42955e

Upon reaction with ligands A , 1 and 3 bearing the 2,5-bis(2-pyridyl)phosphole fragment, an unexpected conversion of Cu II metal centers to Cu I centers is observed affording either bimetallic complexes bearing a bridging phosphane coordination mode or hexametallic metallacycles. Conversion of Cu II to Cu I centers upon reaction with organophosphorus ligands affords either bimetallic complexes or hexametallic metallacycles.