Noncovalent Assembly of

Abstract

Reversible zinc-pyridine coordination and hydrogen-bonding interactions have been used to assemble a [2]rotaxane from three components. Cooperativity in the macrocyclization process that results in the porphyrin dimer makes the system exceptionally stable. However, the kinetic lability of the zinc-porphyrin interaction means the dimer is in dynamic equilibrium with its monomer, and this has been exploited in the construction of a [2]rotaxane.