Hepta­aqua­tetra‐μ3‐hydroxy‐hexa‐μ2‐l‐leucine‐(l‐leucine)­tetraytterbium(III) tetrachlorozinc(II) tri­chloro­hydroxyzinc(II) tetrachloride octahydrate

The title bimetallic compound, [Yb₄(μ₃‐OH)₄(C₆H₁₃NO₂)₇(H₂O)₇][ZnCl₄][ZnCl₃(OH)]Cl₄·8H₂O, was synthesized at near physiological pH (6.0). The compound exhibits some novel structural features, including an asymmetric [Yb₄(μ₃‐OH)₄(l ‐leucine)₇(H₂O)₇]⁸⁺ complex cation in which four OH groups act as bridging ligands, linking four Yb³⁺ cations into a Yb₄O₄ structural unit. Each pair of adjacent Yb³⁺ ions is further bridged by one carboxy group from a leucine ligand. Water mol­ecules and a monodentate leucine ligand also coordinate to Yb³⁺ ions, completing their eight‐coordinate square‐antiprismatic coordination. The Yb₄(μ₃‐OH)₄(l ‐leu­cine)₇(H₂O)₇]⁸⁺ cation, the [ZnCl₄]²⁻, [ZnCl₃OH]²⁻ and Cl⁻ anions, and the lattice water mol­ecules are linked via hydrogen bonds.