Molecular tectonics: homochiral coordination networks based on combinations of a chiral neutral tecton with Hg(II), Cu(II) or Ni(II) neutral complexes as metallatectons.

The use of compound 1 as an enantiomerically pure neutral and rigid organic linear tecton bearing two divergently oriented monodentate coordinating sites appended with two chiral centres of the same (S) configuration leads, in the presence of neutral metal complexes behaving either as a linear (Cu(hfac)2, Cu(OAc)2) or a V-shaped (HgCl2) 2-connecting node or a 4-connecting square node (NiCl2), to the formation of four homochiral 1- and 2-D coordination polymers.