Two new chiral copper(II) coordination polymers comprising octacopper(II) subcomponents were synthesized through investigation of the interplay among tartrate ligands, guanidinium cations, and metals. Our analysis confirms that these compounds are enantiomers exhibiting 3D hierarchical supramolecular structures that are constituted by 2D sublayers and sustained by noncovalent bonding interactions.

A discrete nanospheric icosametallic cluster comprised of 20 Cu ions (1) was self-assembled from facile synthesis. Adjustment of the synthesis by the choice of ligands gave rise to another cluster (2) with an intact icosacupric core and improved stability. Referring to the synthesis of 1 and 2, a heterometallic cluster (3), which contains 12 CuII and 8 ZnII, was designed and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, combined with elemental analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and element mapping. The magnetic measurements of 2 and 3 and the scanning electron microscopy images and UV–visible diffuse-reflectance measurements of metal oxides from 2 and 3 indicate that isolation of {Cu12M8} is a new synthetic route to materials with engineered properties.

An anionic heptacopper(II) oxo-cluster {Cu7} was obtained from a simple reaction in aqueous solution without heating. In a similar reaction, another cage compound {Sb12} with an encapsulated {Cu2} core was produced, implying the structural versatility of copper(II)-oxide assemblies constructed from potassium antimonyl tartrate as the ligand in aqueous solution. The ferromagnetic S = 7/2 ground state of {Cu7} is confirmed by magnetization measurements.