Constructing coordination nanocages : the metalloligand approach

The focus on this mini-review is on the use of metalloligands for the construction of discrete self-assembled, polyhedral metallo-cages. This metalloligand approach employs metal bound multifunctional ligand building blocks that display predetermined, well-defined electronic and structural preferences that facilitate the rational design and construction of both homo- and heteronuclear cages. The assembled cages exhibit a variety of defined topologies that, for example, range from trigonal bipyramidal to rhombododecahedral.