Identification of seven-coordinate Ln ions in a Ln[15-MC -5](OAc)Cl species crystallized from methanol and pyridine.

The title metallacrown (MC) complexes Ln15-MC-5CI(CHN) (), where OAc is acetate, shi is salicylhydroximate, and Ln = Gd and Dy, were synthesized via a self-assembly reaction in methanol and pyridine. Single crystals were grown using slow evaporation and characterized using X-ray diffraction. Seven-coordinate capped octahedron geometries were observed for the lanthanide ion in both complexes, which is uncommon for trivalent lanthanide species. The 15-MC-5 is a ruffled metallacrown archetype similar to previously reported mixed-valent manganese metallacrowns.