Amplifying Different [2]Catenanes in an Aqueous Donor−Acceptor Dynamic Combinatorial Library

Abstract

Two donor-acceptor [2]catenanes have been synthesized and characterized from a single dynamic combinatorial library in water. One of these catenanes is different from earlier related interlocked molecules in that two donor units stack on each other in an unexpected order. Shifting the equilibrium by choosing the right conditions resulted in a significant increase in the yields of the individual catenanes.