Direct synthesis of heterometallic complexes

The idea of direct synthesis of coordination compounds – use of elemental metals or their oxides as starting material – has been developed to synthesize heterometallic compounds. The advantages of this approach in obtaining polynuclear, mixed-anion and mixed-valence coordination compounds are shown, taking complexes with aminoalcohols as examples. The preparation of heterobimetallic Cu/M (Pb, Zn, Co) complexes with aminoalcohols using zerovalent copper as a starting material is presented. The main principles for the formation of heterobimetallic complexes and the most interesting crystal structures are briefly reviewed.