M. Peng らのポリピリジルアミドやポリナフチリジルア ミド配位子を用いた Ni 11 核鎖 2 や,村橋らの β カロテ ン等のポリエン配位子を鋳型に用いた Pd 10 核鎖 3 が最 も長い分子性金属鎖の例として挙げられるのみである。 Structurally constrained multinuclear transition metal assemblies are fascinating building blocks for atomically precise nanostructured molecular devices due to a variety of functions with electronic, magnetic, photophysical, and catalytic properties originating from cooperative effects of proximate metal centers. Their viable syntheses are in debt to design of multidentate supporting ligands, and to develop low valent metal assemblies as molecular miniatures of metallic materials, those with a pair of soft donors connected by a single atom are highly desired. The authorʼs group synthesized a series of linear polyphosphine ligands with short bite distances, and has systematically studied such multinuclear metal clusters. This review describes the recent developments of low-valent metal clusters supported by linear tri-, tetra-and hexadentate phosphine ligands, Ph 2 PCH 2 [P(Ph)CH 2 ] n PPh 2 (n = 1, 2, 4), Ph 2 PCH 2 P(Ph) [CH 2 ] m P(Ph)CH 2 PPh 2 (m = 1-4), and Ph 2 PCH 2 P(Ph) N(Ph)P(Ph)CH 2 PPh 2 , mainly focusing on self-aligned Pt 6 , Pt 2 Pd 2 Pt 2 , Pd 8 chains, strongly luminous Au 4 and Au 6 chains and {Au 2 AgCu} 2 rings, and trigonal, rhombic, square planar, and cage-type copper hydride clusters with their reactivity and catalytic activity.