Recent advances in various types of higher order rotaxanes with precisely controlled architectures are summarized in this feature article.

[reaction: see text] A novel triptycene-based cylindrical macrotricyclic polyether containing two dibenzo[24]crown-8 cavities has been synthesized and proved to be a highly efficient host for the complexation with paraquat derivatives. Consequently, a new kind of very stable pseudorotaxane-type complex was formed in solution and in the solid state.

A silver-promoted decarboxylative annulation of alkynoates with 2-oxoacetic acids leading to the formation of 3-acyl-4-arylcoumarins is reported. The process involves radical decarboxylative acylation, 5-exo cyclization, and ester migration.

Triptycene-based cylindrical macrotricyclic polyether 1 has been proved to be an efficient host for the complexation with diquaternary salts in solution and in the solid state. Moreover, it was also found that binding and release of the guest molecules could be easily controlled by the addition and removal of potassium ions.

[reaction: see text] It was found that a cylindrical macrotricyclic host containing two dibenzo[24]crown-8 cavities could self-assemble with two dibenzylammonium salts to form a stable 1:2 complex in solution and in the solid state, in which multiple hydrogen-bonding and pi-pi stacking interactions between the host and the guest played an important role. Furthermore, a series of dendritic pseudorotaxanes were constructed and structurally studied.

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The triptycene-based macrotricyclic host containing two dibenzo-[24]-crown-8 moieties has been found to form stable 1:1 or 1:2 complexes in different complexation modes with different functional paraquat derivatives and secondary ammonium salts in solution and in the solid state. Consequently, the alkyl-substituted paraquat derivatives thread the lateral crown cavities of the host to form 1:1 complexes. It was interestingly found that the paraquat derivatives containing two beta-hydroxyethyl or gamma-hydroxypropyl groups form 1:2 complexes, in which two guests thread the central cavity of the host. Other paraquat derivatives containing terminal hydroxy, methoxy, 9-anthracylmethyl, and amide groups were included in the cavity of the host to form 1:1 complexes. Moreover, the host also forms a 1:2 complex with two 9-anthracylmethylbenzylammonium salts, in which the 9-anthracyl groups were selectively positioned outside the lateral crown cavities. The competition complexation process between the host and two different guests (the propyl-substituted paraquat derivative and a dibenzylammonium salt) could be chemically controlled.

A new triptycene-based macrotricyclic host containing two dibenzo-30 crown-10 moieties (1) has been synthesized. It could form a 1:2 stable complex 1 x 3(2) with (9-anthracylmethyl)benzylammonium salt (3) in both solution and solid state, in which the 9-anthracyl groups were selectively positioned inside the cavity of the host. Moreover, the complexation and disassociation of complex 1 x 3(2) could be chemically controlled by the addition of base and acid. It was also found that Ba(2+) ion could considerably induce the fluorescence enhancement of complex 1 x 3(2), which might thus be utilized as a selective supramolecular fluorescence probe for Ba(2+) ion. Fluorescence and (1)H NMR spectroscopic titrations further showed that the complexation between complex 1 x 3(2) and barium ions underwent a two-step process.