Macrocyclic trinucleating ligands for the cocomplexation of two 'soft' (Cu2+, Ni2+ or Zn2+) metal centers and one 'hard' (Ba2+ or Cs+) metal center

Macrocyclic heterotrinucleating ligands that have one compartment for complexation of alkaline or alkaline earth cations and two compartments for transition-metal cations have been synthesized