1 Department of Chemistry and Materials Science Institute, University of Oregon, and the Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI), Eugene, OR 97403-1253, USA.
Several intermediates and oligomeric mistakes in a metal-ligand self-assembly reaction are identified by 1H NMR, MALDI-MS, and XRD, providing evidence in support of multiple pathways in the "free-for-all" self-assembly process.