New heterometallic [Mn(III)(4)Ln(III)(4)] wheels incorporating formate ligands.

Two heteroctanuclear wheel complexes with an eight-membered saddle-like ring of [Mn(III)(4)Ln(III)(4)] (Ln = Dy, Gd), prepared by employing formates as key carboxylate bridges, exhibit antiferromagnetic interactions between Mn(III) and Ln(III) centers, and the wheel containing anisotropic Dy(III) ions shows SMM behaviour.