Novel Synthetic Approach to Trinuclear 3d‐4f Complexes: Specific Exchange of the Central Metal of a Trinuclear Zinc(II) Complex of a Tetraoxime Ligand with a Lanthanide(III) Ion

Only the central metal atom of the homotrinuclear complex [LZn3]2+, prepared by cooperative complexation between a linear ligand and Zn(OAc)2, is replaced with a Ln3+ ion by selective and quantitative transmetalation to give a helical heterotrinuclear complex [LZn2Ln]3+ (see scheme). Ln=lanthanide.