Self-assembled hexanuclear arene ruthenium metallo-prisms with unexpected double helical chirality

Self-assembly of 2,4,6-tripyridyl-1,3,5-triazine (tpt) subunits with arene ruthenium building blocks and oxalato bridges affords cationic triangular metallo-prisms of the type [Ru₆ (arene) ₆ (tpt)₂ (C₂O₄)₃]⁶⁺ (arene = C₆Me₆ and <i>p</i>-Pr^<i>i</i>C₆H₄Me); the unexpected double helical chirality of the metallo-prisms observed in the solid state persists in solution giving rise to two different stereodynamic processes as demonstrated by NMR enantiodifferentiation experiments.