Knotaxanes—Rotaxanes with Knots as Stoppers

Abstract

Get knotted: Molecular knots have been used as stoppers in the assembly of “knotaxanes”, a new family of topologically chiral rotaxanes (see picture). Two knotaxanes were separated into enantiomers using HPLC with a chiral stationary phase and characterized by measuring their CD spectra. The chirality designation of these topological species is reminiscent of the Fischer projections of open-chain sugar acids.