Studies Towards the Synthesis of PD(II)-Containing [2] and [3]Catenanes in Aqueous Media

Abstract

[Abstract] Here is reported the investigation of a synthetic route for the preparation of Pd(II)-containing catenanes in aqueous media. A pseudorotaxane intermediate was prepared, which can potentially be converted into a series of catenanes. From the pseudorotaxane, using a Pd(II)-driven clipping step a dinuclear [3]catenane was obtained in the solid state. The synthesis of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs; i.e. rotaxanes, catenanes, and molecular knots)1,2 has attracted substantial interest among scientists, not only because of their intrinsic beauty, or the substantial synthetic challenge that they signify, but for other more practical reasons like their prospective use in the development of molecular-scale machinery