The dimethylquaterpyridine ligand L1 reacts with Cu I and Ag I to give dinuclear complexes of "helicate" form, in which the metals are in an approximate tetrahedral coordination, whereas reactions with Co II and Zn II provide mononuclear complexes, in which the metals are apparently six-coordinate with markedly distorted octahedral coordination, and the ligand retains a helical conformation. Oxidation of the methyl substituents of L1 into carboxylic acid groups, followed by

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