Cyclotriphosphazene hydrazides as efficient multisite coordination ligands. eta(3)-fac-non-geminal-N(3) coordination of spiro-N(3)P(3)[O(2)C(12)H(8)][N(Me)NH(2)](4) (L) in L(2)CoCl(3) and L(2)M(NO(3))(2) (M = Ni, Zn, Cd).

The cyclophosphazene tetrahydrazide spiro-N(3)P(3)[O(2)C(12)H(8)]N(Me)NH(2) (L) functions as a multisite coordination ligand and affords L(2)CoCl(3).2CH(3)OH (4), L(2)Ni(NO(3))(2).2CHCl(3).2.5H(2)O (5), L(2)Zn(NO(3))(2).2CH(3)CN.2H(2)O (6), and L(2)Cd(NO(3))(2) (7). Each of the cyclophosphazene ligands that is involved in coordination to the metal functions as a non-geminal-N(3) donor coordinating through one ring nitrogen atom and two non-geminal-NH(2) nitrogen atoms. The coordination geometry around the metal ion in 4-6 is approximately octahedral while it is severely distorted in the case of 7.