A cationic guest in a 24+ cationic host.

A new tetrahedral coordination cage M12L6 was prepared from a linear dipyrimidine ligand (L) and cis-protected palladium(II) (M). This cage showed unprecedented host-guest chemistry where the cationic host accommodated a cationic guest despite 24+ charges on the host framework. The unusual cation-cation host-guest chemistry is described by a unique onionlike shell structure of the host-guest complex where two cationic spheres are mediated by an anionic sphere of a counteranion assembly.