A new heteroditopic cryptand (L) has been synthesized in high yields, at 5 °C and in absence of any templating metal ion, by tripod–tripod Schiff-base condensation of tris(3-aminopropyl)amine and 2,2′,2″-nitrilotris(ethyleneoxy)tris(benzaldehyde) followed by reduction in situ with NaBH ₄ . The molecule has an endo-endo conformation with a distance of 5.291 Å between the two bridgehead nitrogens. The cryptand forms mononuclear cryptates of the general formula [ML][ClO ₄ ] ₂ with copper(II) and zinc(II) perchlorates. The crystal structure of [ZnL][ClO ₄ ] ₂ ·2H ₂ O was determined. The Zn ^II occupies the N ₄ end of the cavity in an almost ideal tetrahedral geometry. The blue copper(II) cryptate exhibits ligand-field bands at 875 and 745 nm and a ligand-to-metal charge transfer at 275 nm in acetonitrile solution at 298 K indicative of pseudo-tetrahedral CuN ₄ co-ordination. However, its EPR spectral characteristics in the solid state or in solution are typical of a magnetically concentrated complex.