A molecular cage of nickel(II) and copper(I): a [{Ni(L)2}2(CuI)6] cluster resembling the active site of nickel-containing enzymes

A new mononuclear low-spin nickel(II) dithiolato complex, [NiL2] (1), reacts with copper iodide to form the heterooctanuclear cluster [{Ni(L)2}2(CuI)6] (2) with four trigonal-planar CuI2S and two tetrahedral CuI2S2 sites; anagostic interactions between the nickel(II) ions and aromatic protons have been demonstrated by variable-temperature NMR studies to pertain in solution.