A tetranuclear heterobimetallic square formed from the cooperative ligand binding properties of square planar and tetrahedral metal centers.

Reaction of Rh(I) and Zn(II) metal centers with a ligand containing salicylaldiminato and thioether-phosphine moieties resulted in the formation of a tetranuclear heterobimetallic molecular square. The directionality required to form these structures is imparted by both the tetrahedral and square planar metal centers acting in concert with one another.