Mechanostereochemistry and the mechanical bond by Gokhan Barin, Ross S. Forgan, and J. Fraser Stoddart Proceedings A Volume 468(2146): October 8, 2012 ©2012 by The Royal Society

The creation of a mechanical bond, in the form of a catenane or a rotaxane, from a 1:1 complex that we call (Ashton et al. 1991) a pseudorotaxane, underlines the importance of non-covalent bonding interactions in the synthesis of MIMs, which, by definition,... Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

A list of timelines illustrating the progress in the field of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) relating to their structures, preparations and applications as well as providing the names of some of the key players. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

Two statistical approaches to the synthesis of MIMs. (a) The purported synthesis of a [2]catenane 3 by carrying out a macrocyclization in the presence of a pre-formed ring (Wasserman 1960). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

The significant transformations in a 20-step directed synthesis of a [2]catenane 13 wherein the two rings are held together by covalent bonds until the final steps (Schill & Lüttringhaus 1964) when these covalent bonds are cleaved. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

The Cu(I)-templated synthesis (Dietrich-Buchecker et al. 1983) of a [2]catenate comprising two 1,10-phenanthroline-based rings together with the crystal structures (Cesario et al. 1985) of both the Cu(I) [2]catenate 17 and its demetallated analogue, the [2]... Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The ‘all-in-one’ synthesis of a benzylic imine [2]catenate templated by transition metal coordination. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The equilibrium that exists in aqueous solution between the Pd(II)-templated metallomacrocycle 22 and the dimeric [2]catenane 23 (Fujita et al. 1994). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

The stoppering of cyclodextrin-based pseudorotaxanes to form [2]rotaxanes can be carried out through coordinative bonding (a) or by covalent bond formation (b). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The template-directed synthesis of the donor–acceptor [2]catenane 35 comprising the macrocycle cyclobis(paraquat-para-phenylene) and bis-para-phenylene[34]crown-10 (Ashton et al. 1989). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The synthesis of the amide hydrogen-bonded [2]catenanes 41 discovered independently by Hunter (1992) and Vögtle et al. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The formation of a pseudorotaxane 47 between dibenzylammonium hexafluorophosphate (45) and dibenzo[24]crown-8 (46) with its solid-state structure portrayed alongside. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

The chloride-templated synthesis of (a) a [2]rotaxane 54 (Wisner et al. 2002), and (b) a [2]catenane 56 (Sambrook et al. 2004) with their respective crystal structures positioned alongside in tubular format with the chloride template rendered as a green sph... Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

Structural representations (a) and solid-state structures (b) of the ground, mixed-valence and radical cation dimer states, in turn, of the [3]catenane 574+ (Spruell et al. 2010). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) The synthesis of a frustrated [2]rotaxane 60 based on the recognition of a monocationic bipyridine-based radical thread by the dicationic diradical CBPQT2+, followed by copper-free click chemistry (Li et al. 2010a). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) A stepwise synthesis under kinetic control of a molecular Trefoil knot 64 by cyclization of a dinuclear double helical complex 63, with the solid-state structure of one of the topological enantiomers displayed (Dietrich-Buchecker & Sauvage 1989; Dietric... Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

A switchable donor–acceptor molecular shuttle 68 (Bissell et al. 1994). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) A photoswitchable [2]rotaxane 69 that changes its physical properties upon switching, from fluorophilic to polarophilic. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) A switchable [2]rotaxane 70 that can be incorporated into (b) a bit molecular memory chip (Adapted from Nature Publishing Group). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

A redox-active mechanized silica nanoparticle (MSNP) decorated with bistable rotaxanes. Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society

(a) A 2 nm MOF strut 71 containing electron-rich crown ethers can generate a cubic MOF capable of binding electron-poor molecules, such as methyl viologen, within its pores (from Li et al. 2009). Gokhan Barin et al. Proc. R. Soc. A 2012;468: ©2012 by The Royal Society