A series of pentadecanuclear lanthanide-hydroxo complexes possessing a common core of the formula [Ln(15)(mu(3)-OH)(20)(mu(5)-X)](24+)(1, Ln = Eu, X = Cl(-); 2, Ln = Nd, X = Cl(-); 3, Ln = Gd, X = Cl(-); 4, Ln = Pr, X = Br(-); 5, Ln = Eu, X = Br(-)) were prepared by L-tyrosine-controlled hydrolysis of corresponding lanthanide perchlorates in the presence of added Cl(-) or Br(-). The cationic cluster core comprises five vertex-sharing cubane-like [Ln(4)(mu(3)-OH)(4)](8+) units centered on the halide template. In the case of templating I(-), dodecanuclear complexes were isolated instead. The core component, [Ln(12)(mu(3)-OH)(16)(I)(2)](18+) (6, Ln = Dy; 7, Ln = Er), consists of four vertex-sharing cubane-like [Ln(4)(mu(3)-OH)(4)](8+) units and exists as a square-shaped cyclic structure with one I(-) located on each side of the square plane. An analogous hydrolytic reaction involving Er(NO(3))(3), L-tyrosine, and NaOH affords the known hexanuclear complex [Er(6)(mu(6)-O)(mu(3)-OH)(8)(NO(3))(6)(H(2)O)(12)](NO(3))(2) whose core component is a face-capped octahedral [Er(6)(mu(6)-O)(mu(3)-OH)(8)](8+) cluster with an interstitial mu(6)-oxo group (Wang, R.; Carducci, M. D.; Zheng, Z. Inorg. Chem. 2000, 39, 1836-1837.). The efficient self-assembly of halide-encapsulating multicubane complexes (1-7) and the inability to produce an analogous nitrate-containing complex demonstrate the superior templating roles played by the halide ion(s). Further credence for the halide template effects was provided by the isolation of the cationic pentadecanuclear complex 3 as the sole product when tyrosine-supported hydrolysis of Gd(NO(3))(3) was carried out in the presence of competitive Cl(-). Magnetic moments of complexes 1-7 measured at room temperature by using Evans' method are in excellent agreement with those calculated by the Van Vleck equation, assuming magnetically noninteractive lanthanide ions.

Transition metal clusters, by virtue of their well-defined structures and unique properties, present themselves as an attractive class of structural and functional building blocks for molecular and supramolecular construction. Summarized in this Account are highlights of our efforts utilizing face-capped octahedral [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) clusters as the fundamental building units to create a wide variety of preprogrammed architectures. These include molecular "Tinkertoys", featuring stereospecific cluster units bridged by multitopic ligands and extended arrays of clusters engineered via hydrogen bonding and secondary metal-ligand coordination.

A complex containing the face-capped octahedral [Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)](2+) cluster core, cis-[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)](SbF(6))(2) (1), is used as a ditopic ligand with an enforced right angle between the two 4,4'-dipyridyl moieties for the coordination of Cd(2+) ion. Two coordination polymers, [[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)](2)[Cd(NO(3))(2)]](SbF(6))(4).21C(4)H(10)O.21CH(2)Cl(2) (2) and [[Re(6)(mu(3)-Se)(8)(PPh(3))(4)(4,4'-dipyridyl)(2)][Cd(NO(3))(3)]](NO(3)).2C(4)H(10)O.CH(2)Cl(2) (3), are obtained. The relative concentration of Cd(2+) determines which species is isolated, and the conversion of the first structure into the second is demonstrated experimentally.