Bringing an important macrocycle into a polyoxometalate matrix: synthesis, crystal structure, spectroscopy and electrochemistry of [Co(III)(transdiene)(Cl)2]2[Mo6O19], [Ni(II)(transdiene)][W6O19]·DMSO·DCM and [Zn(II)(transdsiene)(Cl)]2[W6O19].

Three polyoxometalate based ion pair solids (1-3), in which Co(III) (d(6)), Ni(II) (d(8)) and Zn(II) (d(10)) complexes of a tetra-aza macrocycle, Me(6)-trans-[14]-diene act as the cationic moieties, have been reported. The title complexes, formulated as [Co (C(16)H(32)N(4))(Cl)(2)](2)[Mo(6)O(19)] (1), [Ni(C(16)H(32)N(4))][W(6)O(19)]·DMSO·DCM (2) and [Zn(C(16)H(32)N(4))(Cl)](2)[W(6)O(19)] (3) (C(16)H(32)N(4) = Me(6)-trans-[14]-diene), are the first crystallographic paradigms where transition metal complexes of a Schiff condensed tetra-aza macrocycle have been associated with an isopolyanion, [M(6)O(19)](2-) (M = Mo(vi) and W(vi)). Compounds 1-3 have been characterized through routine spectroscopic analyses including elemental analysis and their structures have been unambiguously determined through single crystal X-ray crystallography. The molecules of compound 1 assemble obeying P1 (#2) space symmetry, whereas those of compounds 2 and 3 follow the higher symmetrical ensemble P2(1)/c (#14). The ESR spectral studies of compounds 1-3 have revealed their diamagnetic (low-spin) nature. The last part of this article describes the electrochemical properties of the title compounds.