The exotic “Asian Lantern” heterometallic cage silsesquioxane [(PhSiO1.5)20(FeO1.5)6(NaO0.5)8(n-BuOH)9.6(C7H8)] (I) was obtained and characterized by X-ray diffraction, EXAFS, topological analyses and DFT calculation.
A new pentanuclear “cylinder”-like cobalt( ii ) phenylsilsesquioxane [(PhSiO 1.5 ) 10 (CoO) 5 (NaOH)] exhibits a slow relaxation of the magnetization and a high catalytic activity and stereoselectivity in the oxidation of alkanes and alcohols.