The ability to control the structures of polymetallic complexes is a key concern if we are ever to exploit their properties. A lot of beautiful science has emerged with this challenge, as shown by the grid structures created by Lehn [1] and Thompson, [2] or the panel structures created by Fujita.[3] A particularly attractive idea is to template the structure about an otherwise innocent ion to modify the structure without changing electronic properties. The work of Saalfrank et al. in which different sized metallocryptands were templated is particularly relevant here, [4] as is the work of Raymond and coworkers in which the geometry of the molecule is varied from a dimetallic helix to a tetrahedron depending on the presence of a tetrahedral counterion.[5] Our work has concerned new methods to influence structure, and, in the case of cyclic chromium fluoride cages, we have shown that the size of metal rings can be influenced by the choice of secondary ammonium cations. [6, 7] Here we use metal complexes of macrocycles as templates to show that further unusual structures can be formed.Previously [6] The facile synthesis of these compounds led us to look more widely at a reaction matrix that contains chromium fluoride, pivalate ion, a second metal ion, and templates that contain NH groups. When the second metal is nickel and the template is a simple azacrown ether, either 1,4,7-triazacyclonane (tacn) or 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen), the macrocycle binds the nickel ion and the resultant complex then acts as the template.Initially, chromium fluoride, nickel carbonate, and tacn were treated in pivalic acid to give [Ni(tacn) 2 ][Cr 8 Ni 2 -F 10 (O 2 CCMe 3 ) 20 ] (1), [8] in which the dicationic mononuclear nickel complex was found within a dianionic ring (Figure 1).A better route to 1 involved the prior preparation of [Ni(tacn) 2 ](O 2 CCMe 3 ) 2 and addition of this complex to the reaction mixture (CrF 3 , NiCO 3 , and pivalic acid). The metal sites within the dianion are disordered: two Ni 2+ ions are present according to microanalytical measurement and charge-balance considerations. The structure of the mononuclear dication is very similar to that of [Ni(tacn) 2 ] 2+ crystallized with simpler anions, [10] however, disorder in the structure renders a meaningful comparison of bond lengths difficult. Each of the M···M edges of the ten-metal ring, which is almost planar, is bridged by one fluoride and two pivalate ions in a similar manner to [Cr 7 NiF 8 (O 2 CCMe 3 ) 16 ] À . Each of the NH groups of the two tacn ligands are involved in hydrogen bonds; these bonds are longer than the hydrogen bonds found when simpler amines are used (N···F contacts range from 2.98 to 3.30 rather than 2.7-2.9 ). [6] With the Cr-F-pivalate system, octa-, [6] nona-, [7] and decanuclear metal rings could be synthesized by variation of the template. If 1,4,7, Figure 2) [8] results. The fifteen metal sites define an "S", in which a Ni 2+ ion is located at the center of the "S" and two Ni