Structure-Property Relationship of Heterometallic Coordination Systems Based on Lanthanides/Pincer Ligands

In modern synthetic inorganic chemistry, researchers have garnered significant interest in the design of metal-organic compounds based on targeted applications. Consequently, a substantial archive of coordination molecules has been established, showcasing their functionalities and applications. Lanthanides are particularly intriguing in synthetic inorganic chemistry due to their unique electron configuration, which can result in remarkable optical activity and magnetic properties. These properties can be further enhanced when lanthanides are combined with other metal atoms through functional organic moieties, linkers, or ligands. Lanthanides often exhibit high coordination numbers (ranging from 8 to 9) and are found to bind effectively with chelating ligands that have high denticity. In this context, we have focused on using tridentate (kappa 3) pincer ligands as a system for exploration. We examined binding sites that could facilitate the formation of heterometallic systems, aligning with the goals of this discussion. This review summarizes the Ln(kappa 3L)3-n-M (where n = 1, 2, and 3) coordination system, which includes discrete complexes or supramolecular coordination complexes (SCCs), coordination polymers (CPs), and polynuclear clusters with the structure-property correlations. We also provide an outlook for the future design of such complexes.