A Hermaphrodite Molecule: Quantitative Copper(I)-Directed Formation of a Doubly Threaded Assembly from a Ring Attached to a String

Abstract

A molecular needle and thread: 1, which consists of a string covalently bonded to a ring, undergoes a CuI-directed assembly process with quantitative formation of the dicopper(I) dimer 22+ having a doubly threaded topology. The rigid 1,10-phenanthroline unit in the rodlike component of the molecule prevents self-threading to give a tail-biting complex.