Strapping a benzaldehyde-appended 2,2'-bis-dipyrrin Zn(ii) double-stranded helicate using imine bond formation.

A novel linear binuclear Zn(ii)/2,2-bis-dipyrrin double-stranded helicate bearing peripheral p-benzaldehyde moieties has been strapped by formation of imine bonds upon reaction with m-xylylenediamine and characterized by H-1- and C-13-NMR spectroscopy, UV-Visible spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry.