5,11,17,arene has been reported to form remarkable Ln19 and Ln12 elongated clusters, upon addition of aqueous ammonium carboxylates. The impact of the para substituent on lanthanoid cluster formation has been studied by synthesising two new bis-tetrazole calixarenes, with p-H, and p-allyl substituents. Solution phase dynamic light scattering measurements of the reaction mixtures indicated that clusters are not formed with the p-H and p-allyl derivatives, in contrast with the behaviour of the tert-butyl analogue. Lanthanoid com- [a]