A folded [2 × 2] metallo-supramolecular grid from a bis-tridentate (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-picolinamide (tzpa) ligandElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Additional figures, additional NMR spectra and tabulated data, computational figures and tables. CCDC 1540136-1540138. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c7dt01533j

A flexible ditopic ligand 1 containing two N , N , O -tridentate (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-picolinamide chelating pockets is reported and the formation of multimetallic architectures is explored in the solid and the solution phase. The self-assembled Zn II complex [Zn 4 ( 1 ) 4 ](ClO 4 ) 8 exhibited a folded [2 × 2] square grid supramolecular architecture that selectively assembled in MeCN solution as shown using various spectroscopic techniques. The closely related Fe II complex shows equivalent behaviour in the solid state, while a discrete dinuclear species [Cu 2 (NO 3 ) 4 1 ]·5MeCN was the sole product observed in the solid state from the reaction between 1 and Cu II under similar conditions. A flexible ditopic ligand 1 containing two N , N , O -tridentate (1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-picolinamide chelating pockets is reported and the formation of multimetallic architectures is explored in the solid and the solution phase.