A ring cycle: studies of heterometallic wheels.

The synthesis of a series of heterometallic rings and chains is reported. The family is based on the octanuclear cages of general formula [H(2)NR(2)][M(7)M'F(8)(O(2)CR')(16)], where M is a trivalent metal (Cr, Fe, V, Al, Ga or In), M' is a divalent metal (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Mg, Zn, Cd), R is a linear alkyl chain and O(2)CR' is one of around twenty carboxylates. Other members of the family with nonametallic and decametallic cores are described, and some new physics is outlined, including initial investigations of the proposed application of [Cr(7)Ni] rings as Qubits in quantum information processing.