This flexibility provides distinctive angularity for the recognition of various NCIs and thus offers tremendous possibilities for realizing complex supramolecular topologies.
However, recent synthesis of a linear catenane by us witnessed the importance of flexible ligands along with coordination-driven self-assembly and NCIs in self-assembling units. Self-assembling components of fixed length and geometry have been utilized for the production of topologies such as Borromean rings, Solomon links, Hopf’s link, “rectangle in rectangle”, and an 8 18 molecular knot. Previously, we used coordination-driven self-assembly and noncovalent interactions (NCIs) between metal-based acceptors and multipyridyl donors to create supramolecular topologies with increasing complexity. However, the synthesis of interlocked or intertwined compounds, catenanes, links or knots, is a challenge. Engineering of supramolecular topologies offers potential opportunities for tailoring their properties to various function and applications.
