A heteroleptic fused bi-cuboctahedral cluster

A new dicationic cluster, [Cu21S2{(S2CNBu2)-Bu-n}(9)(C2Ph)(6)](2+), where the Cu21S2 kernel consists of two S@Cu-12 cuboctahedra sharing a triangular Cu-3 face is reported. Its waist part is bridged by three dithiocarbamate ligands, each in a hexaconnective, hexametallic (mu(3), mu(3)) coordination pattern, an unprecedented feature in Cu nanocluster chemistry.