Both sequential and one-pot strategies for the preparation of a series of grid-type mixed metal-organic frameworks (MM'MOFs) based on dipyrrin ligands appended with either a pyridyl or a phenyl-imidazolyl moiety have been investigated. For the stepwise approach, the differentiation between the two coordination sites (nature, charge, and denticity) was exploited for the synthesis of a family of five discrete Zn(II), Cu(II), and Pd(II) complexes. Acting as metallatectons, these construction building blocks lead to the formation of a series of MM'MOFs upon self-assembly with CdCl2. In these rhombic grid-type architectures, four consecutive metallatectons are bridged by Cd(II) cations adopting an octahedral coordination geometry with the chloride anions occupying apical positions, thus behaving as square nodes. The shape of the rhombus grids as well as the way they are packed (stacking or interpenetration) in the crystalline phase are controlled by the nature of metallatectons and the solvent molecules present in the crystals. Consequently, the heterometallic assemblies display different accessible voids, although they are built on layers with the same connectivity. More interestingly, as demonstrated by X-ray diffraction on both single crystals and microcrystalline powders, the same MM'MOFs were obtained by a one-pot strategy through direct combinations of dipyrrin derivatives with the corresponding metal salts. This one-pot approach is efficient and more convenient than the sequential alternative, since the isolation, purification, and characterization of the, sometimes insoluble, metallatectons are not required.

An imidazole-appended dipyrrin ligand yields, upon coordination to Cu(II) cations, a linear metallatecton that self-assembles with Cd(II) salts to afford 2D grid-type MOFs which, upon parallel stacking, lead to porous crystals offering 1D channels.