Heptafoil knots

A strategy of using polynuclear double helices as precursors to more complex interlocked and knotted systems should allow the carrying out of template synthesis of trefoil, pentafoil, heptafoil... knots containing a set of two, four, six. .. metals, respectively. 

It needs to be noted that a trefoil knot is only the first member of a potential series of related molecular knots.If the number of metal centres employed in generating the associated helix is even, then the number of crossing points will be odd, and a single, closed knotted structure will be formed (trefoil, pentafoil, heptafoil, etc.). On the other hand, if the number of metal centres is odd, then an even number of crossing points will result, giving rise to multiply-interlocked [2]-catenanes. 

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