Mechanically interlocked molecules MIMs

Fig. 2 Graphical representations of the structures of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) a catenane (left) and a rotaxane (right)...

The burgeoning of molecular nanotechnology near the turn of the 21 century has brought with it the emergence of new fields in the chemical sciences fueled by the manipulation of atomic-and molecular-scale matter with ever-increasing dexterity and precision. Among them, the fields of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) and synthetic foldamers, both of which assume bottom-up approaches in the construction of functional nano-architectures, have seldom[l-3] crossed paths. 

Mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs), such as catenanes and rotaxanes, are molecules with at least two components that are not covalently bound, but interlocked in such a manner that they cannot be separated without the breaking of a covalent bond. Since this physical linkage is known as a mechanical bond [24], we refer to the stereochemistry of MIMs as mechanostereochemistry [25]. MIMs have been appreciated for their synthetic challenge and aesthetic value [26] as well as their potential applications. In particular, MIMs have garnered much interest as artificial molecular switches and machines [27-31] because their internal noncovalent bonding interactions can be modulated by external stimuli to control the relative translational and/or circumrotational motions of their interlocked... 

ICP-MS = inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry MIM = mechanically interlocked molecule MOF = metal organic framework MORF = metal-organic rotaxane framework PRF = polyrotaxane framework RCP = rotaxane coordination polymer TCPP = tetra 4-carboxy)-phenyl-porphyrin TGA = thermogravimetric analysis. 

Hgbhb Hgbhb = 3,3, 3, 5,5 5 -benzene-l,3,5-triyl- MIM mechanically interlocked molecule... 

---