Coordination-driven self-assembly of a molecular figure-eight knot and other topologically complex architectures

Over the past decades, molecular knots and links have captivated the chemical community due to their promising mimicry properties in molecular machines and biomolecules and are being realized with increasing frequency with small molecules. Herein, we describe how to utilize stacking interactions and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2019-05, Vol.10 (1), p.2057-2057, Article 2057
Main Authors: Dang, Li-Long, Sun, Zhen-Bo, Shan, Wei-Long, Lin, Yue-Jian, Li, Zhen-Hua, Jin, Guo-Xin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
140/131
140/146
639/638/541/964
639/638/911
Biomolecules
Crystal structure
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hydrogen
Hydrogen bonding
Knots
Laboratories
Ligands
Mimicry
Molecular machines
multidisciplinary
Organic chemistry
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Self-assembly
Stacking
Topology
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Summary:Over the past decades, molecular knots and links have captivated the chemical community due to their promising mimicry properties in molecular machines and biomolecules and are being realized with increasing frequency with small molecules. Herein, we describe how to utilize stacking interactions and hydrogen-bonding patterns to form trefoil knots, figure-eight knots and [2]catenanes. A transformation can occur between the unique trefoil knot and its isomeric boat-shaped tetranuclear macrocycle by the complementary concentration effect. Remarkably, the realization and authentication of the molecular figure-eight knot with four crossings fills the blank about 4 1 knot in knot tables. The [2]catenane topology is obtained because the selective naphthalenediimide (NDI)-based ligand, which can engender favorable aromatic donor-acceptor π interactions due to its planar, electron-deficient aromatic surface. The stacking interactions and hydrogen-bond interactions play important roles in these self-assembly processes. The advantages provide an avenue for the generation of structurally and topologically complex supramolecular architectures. Molecular knots and links continue to fascinate synthetic chemists. Here, the authors use stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions between a set of similar building blocks to construct several complex molecular topologies, including a figure-eight knot and a trefoil knot.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/s41467-019-10075-6