Three-metal-center spin interactions through the intercalation of metal azaporphines and porphines into an organic pillared coordination box

Discrete homo Cu-Cu-Cu and hetero Cu-Pd-Cu or Cu-Co-Cu metal arrays are prepared within an organic-pillared coordination box by inserting M(II)-azaporphine/ porphine cartridges (M = Cu(II), Pd(II) or Co(II)), where the metal arrays show unique spin interactions in ESR: in particular, Delta m(s) = 3 for the Cu-Cu-Cu array.