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  • Coordination-driven self-as...
    Dang, Li-Long; Sun, Zhen-Bo; Shan, Wei-Long; Lin, Yue-Jian; Li, Zhen-Hua; Jin, Guo-Xin

    Nature communications, 05/2019, Volume: 10, Issue: 1
    Journal Article

    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 2catenanes. 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 knot in knot tables. The 2catenane 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.