The use of lanthanide triple-decker sandwich molecules containing porphyrins and phthalocyanines in molecular information storage applications requires the ability to attach monomeric triple deckers or arrays of triple deckers to electroactive surfaces. Such applications are limited by existing methods for preparing triple deckers. The reaction of a lanthanide porphyrin half-sandwich complex ((Por)M(acac)) with a dilithium phthalocyanine (PcLi2) in refluxing 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene (bp 214 degreesC) affords a mixture of triple deckers of composition (Pc)M(Pc)M(Por), (Por)M(Pc)M(Por), and (Pc)M(Por)M(Pc). We have investigated more directed methods for preparing triple deckers of a given type with distinct metals in each layer. Application of the method of Weiss, which employs reaction of a (Por)M(acac) species with a lanthanide double decker in refluxing 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene, afforded the desired triple decker in some cases but a mixture of triple deckers in others. The approach we developed employs in situ formation of the lanthanide reagent EuCl[N(SiMe3)(2)](2) or CeI[N(SiMe3)(2)](2), which upon reaction with a porphyrin affords the half-sandwich complex (Por)EuX or (Por)CeX ' X = Cl, N(SiMe3)(2); X ' = I, N(SiMe3)(2)). Subsequent reaction with PcLi2 gives the double decker (Por)M(Pc). The (Por(1))EuX half-sandwich complex gave the desired triple decker upon reaction with (Pc)Eu(Pc) but Little of the desired product upon reaction with (Por(2))Eu(Pc). The (Por(1))CeX ' half-sandwich complex reacted with europium double deckers (e..g., (tBPc)EU(Por2), (tBPc)(2)Eu) to give the triple deckers (Por ' )Ce(tBPc)Eu(Poi) and (Por(1))Ce(tBPc)Eu(tBPc) in a rational manner (tB = tetra-tert-butyl). The reactions yielding the half-sandwich, double-decker, and triple-decker complexes were performed in refluxing bis(2-methoxyethyl) ether (bp 162 degreesC. The porphyrins incorporated in the various triple deckers include meso-tetrapentylporphyrin, meso-tetra-p-tolylporphyrin, octaethylporphyrin, and meso-tetraarylporphyrins bearing iodo, ethynyl, or iodo and ethynyl substituents. The triple deckers bearing iodo and/or ethynyl substituents constitute useful building blocks for information storage applications.