The preparation of a dimannosyl[c2]daisy chain molecular machine containing an ammonium and a triazolium station is described. The both stretched and contracted states of the molecular machine can be obtained by variation of the pH, thus localizing the mannosyl stoppers closer or farther away.

The syntheses of various two- and three-station mannosyl [c2]daisy chains, based on a dibenzo-24-crown-8 macrocyclic moiety and an ammonium, a triazolium, and a mono- or disubstituted pyridinium amide station, are reported. The ability of these molecules to act as molecular machine based mimetics has been further studied by (1)H NMR studies. In all the protonated ammonium states, the interwoven rotaxane dimers adopt an extended co-conformation. However, carbamoylation of the ammonium station led to many different other [c2]daisy chain co-conformations, depending on the other molecular stations belonging to the axle. In the two-station [c2]daisy chains containing an ammonium and a mono- or disubstituted pyridinium amide station, two large-amplitude relative movements of the interwoven components were noticed and afforded either an extended and a contracted or very contracted state with, in the latter case, an impressive chairlike conformational flipping of the mannopyranose from (1)C(4) to (4)C(1). In the case of the three-station-based [c2]daisy chains containing an ammonium, a triazolium, and disubstituted pyridinium amide, an extended and a half-contracted molecular state could be obtained because of the stronger affinity of the dibenzo-24-crown-8 part for, respectively, the ammonium, the triazolium, and the disubstituted pyridinium amide. Eventually, with axles comprising an ammonium, a triazolium, and a monosubstituted pyridinium amide, an extended conformation was noticed in the protonated state whereas a continuous oscillation between half-contracted and contracted states, in fast-exchange on the NMR time scale, was triggered by carbamoylation. Variations of the solvent or the temperature allow the modification of the population of each co-conformer. Thermodynamic data provided a small free Gibbs energy ΔG of 2.1 kJ·mol(-1) between the two translational isomers at 298 K.

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High-yield, straightforward synthesis of two- and three-station [2]rotaxane molecular machines based on an anilinium, a triazolium, and a mono- or disubstituted pyridinium amide station is reported. In the case of the pH-sensitive two-station molecular machines, large-amplitude movement of the macrocycle occurred. However, the presence of an intermediate third station led, after deprotonation of the anilinium station, and depending on the substitution of the pyridinium amide, either to exclusive localization of the macrocycle around the triazolium station or to oscillatory shuttling of the macrocycle between the triazolium and monosubstituted pyridinium amide station. Variable-temperature (1)H NMR investigation of the oscillating system was performed in CD(2)Cl(2). The exchange between the two stations proved to be fast on the NMR timescale for all considered temperatures (298-193 K). Interestingly, decreasing the temperature displaced the equilibrium between the two translational isomers until a unique location of the macrocycle around the monosubstituted pyridinium amide station was reached. Thermodynamic constants K were evaluated at each temperature: the thermodynamic parameters DeltaH and DeltaS were extracted from a Van't Hoff plot, and provided the Gibbs energy DeltaG. Arrhenius and Eyring plots afforded kinetic parameters, namely, energies of activation E(a), enthalpies of activation DeltaH( not equal), and entropies of activation DeltaS( not equal). The DeltaG values deduced from kinetic parameters match very well with the DeltaG values determined from thermodynamic parameters. In addition, whereas signal coalescence of pyridinium hydrogen atoms located next to the amide bond was observed at 205 K in the oscillating rotaxane and at 203 K in the two-station rotaxane with a unique location of the macrocycle around the pyridinium amide, no separation of (1)H NMR signals of the considered hydrogen atoms was seen in the corresponding nonencapsulated thread. It is suggested that the macrocycle acts as a molecular brake for the rotation of the pyridinium-amide bond when it interacts by hydrogen bonding with both the amide NH and the pyridinium hydrogen atoms at the same time.

A general synthesis of triazolium-containing [2]rotaxanes, which could not be accessed by other methods, is reported. It is based on a sequential strategy starting from a well-designed macrocycle transporter which contains a template for dibenzo-24-crown-8 and a N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) moiety. The sequence is: 1) synthesis by slippage of a [2]rotaxane building-block; 2) its elongation at its NHS end; 3) the delivery of the macrocycle to the elongated part of the axle by an induced translational motion; 4) the contraction process to yield the targeted [2]rotaxane and recycle the initial transporter.

The synthesis of a pH-sensitive two-station [1]rotaxane molecular switch by self-entanglement of a non-interlocked hermaphrodite molecule, containing an anilinium and triazole moieties, is reported. The anilinium was chosen as the best template for the macrocycle benzometaphenylene[25]crown-8 (BMP25C8) and allowed the self-entanglement of the molecule. The equilibrium between the hermaphrodite molecule and the pseudo[1]rotaxane was studied by (1)H NMR spectroscopy: the best conditions of self-entanglement were found in the less polar solvent CD(2)Cl(2) and at high dilution. The triazole moiety was then benzylated to afford a benzyltriazolium moiety, which then played a dual role. On one hand, it acts as a bulky gate to trap the BMP25C8, thus to avoid any self-disentanglement of the molecular architecture. On another hand, it acts as a second molecular station for the macrocycle. At acidic pH, the BMP25C8 resides around the best anilinium molecular station, displaying the lasso [1]rotaxane in a loosened conformation. The deprotonation of the anilinium molecular station triggers the shuttling of the BMP25C8 around the triazolium moiety, therefore tightening the lasso.

The straightforward synthesis of a double-lasso macrocycle from a nonsymmetrical [c2]daisy chain, using the copper(I)-catalyzed Huisgen alkyne-azide 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, is described. The preparation of the nonsymmetrical alkyne azide [c2]daisy chain precursor was realized in situ via the exchange of the monomers contained in both symmetrical alkyne and azide [c2]daisy chains and was followed by mass spectrometry.

Collar and tie men: the smallest trefoil knot reported to date has been prepared by an active metal template synthesis. Copper(I) ions are able to constrain the well-designed structure so that it can form the loops by complexing to the bipyridine moieties in the core of the thread and the two ends of the entangled lace on opposite faces of the loop, before acting as a catalyst to close the lace.