Trinuclear Copper(I)-bipyridine Triskelion: Template/Bascule Control of Coordination Complex Stereochemistry in a Trefoil Knot Precursor

The construction of molecules such as knots and links can be facilitated by using metal–ligand coordination complexes as template structures; however, the control of the stereochemistry by cooperative steric interactions among metal–ligand sites remains a challenge. A simple, but general, cantilever control mechanism is demonstrated here through the stereoselective synthesis of a trinuclear copper(I)-bipyridine triskelion (see picture).