The First Self‐Assembled Dinuclear Triple‐Helical Lanthanide Complex: Synthesis and Structure

Eighteen europium–nitrogen bonds are formed when a specially designed bis(terdentate) nitrogen‐containing ligand L 1 reacts with europium( III ) perchlorate. In the resulting triple‐helical dinuclear cation [Eu 2 L   3 1 ] 6+ 1 , the metals are coordinated to nine nitrogen atoms each, forming a slightly distorted tricapped trigonal prism (see schematic representation on the right; the open circles are the coordinating N atoms of L 1 , solid circles the europium( III ) ions).