Crystallization induced chiral locking of a central labile core in a star-shaped tetra-nuclear complex.

The central labile Al(III) core of a star-shaped tetra-nuclear metal complex, [{Delta-Ru(III)(acac)(2)(taet)}(3)Al(III)] (acac = acetylacetonato; taet = tetraacetylethanato), which was synthesized by reacting Delta-[Ru(III)(acac)(2)(taetH)] (taetH = singly protonated taet) with an Al(III) ion in solution, was found to be locked as a Lambda-form in the solid state.