New routes to high nuclearity cages: dimerisation of a manganese triangle via solvothermal synthesis.
Heating [Mn3O(O2CPh)6(py)2(H2O)] in MeCN at 100 degrees C for 12 hours in a sealed Teflon container produces the hexanuclear species [Mn6O2(O2CPh)12(py)2]: dimerisation of the triangle occurs via solvent loss and ligand rearrangement.