Molecular Knots - From Early Attempts to High-Yield Template Syntheses

Christiane Dietrich-Buchecker, Gwenael Rapenne, and Jean-Pierre Sauvage 

Synthetic chemistry has been experiencing an explosive renaissance, not only because of the numerous individual reactions which have been proposed and added to the set of tools which constitute modem synthetic methodology [1-11] but also because of the nature of the target molecules whose elaboration represents a challenge for chemists. 

The synthesis of interlocking ring molecular systems and knots combines both sets of motivation but it also adds an aesthetic dimension to the chemical problem. Indeed the search for aesthetically attractive molecules has been a goal since the very origin of chemistry. 

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Molecular Knots - From Early Attempts to High-Yield Template Syntheses... 

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