The triruthenium carboxylate cluster [Ru 3 O-(OAc) 6 (py) 2 (bpp)] ? (OAc = acetate) containing the bridging 1,3-bis(4-pyridyl)propane (bpp) ligand, and its dimeric species [{Ru 3 O(OAc) 6 (py 2 )} 2 (l-bpp)] 2? were synthesized in order to investigate their inclusion compounds with b-cyclodextrin (b-CD). Characterization of the complexes was carried out based on spectroscopic, electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical techniques, while the formation of inclusion complexes was evaluated using 1 H NMR/ NOESY spectroscopy. Since bpp is a flexible ligand, a DFT study was carried out in order to characterize its conformational isomers and their possible role in the host-guest chemistry with b-CD. Instead of observing the formation of inclusion compounds with different stoichiometries, we observed the formation of 1:1 bpp/b-CD compounds in which the bpp ligand assumes different conformations. The assembly of polymetallic rotaxane species was successfully demonstrated by monitoring the 1 H NMR spectra of the monomeric cluster species in the presence of aquapentacyanoferrate(II) ions and b-CD.