Herein we describe the design and synthesis of a series of solid-tethered [2]rotaxanes utilising crown ether-naphthalene diimide or crown ether-bipyridinium host guest interactions. TentaGel polystyrene resins were initially modified in a two-stage procedure to azide functionalised beads before the target supramolecular architectures were attached using a copper catalysed "click" procedure. The final assembly was examined using IR spectroscopy and gel-phase (1)H High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR MAS) NMR spectroscopy. The HR MAS technique enabled a direct comparison between the solid-tethered architectures and the synthesis and characterisation of analogous solution-based [2]rotaxanes to be made.

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Despite advances in the range of mechanically interlocked architectures that can be synthesized and operated as supramolecular machines, motors and sensors in solution, in many cases their synthesis is laborious and expensive requiring long multistep pathways with extensive purification at each stage. Dynamic covalent chemistry has been shown to overcome problems with traditional kinetically controlled synthetic approaches that often afford low yields of interlocked architectures due to irreversible formation of non-interlocked by-products. Herein, we describe the use of reversible disulfide exchange reactions as a means to assemble catenanes and rotaxanes in organic solutions. Moreover, the application of this thermodynamic approach to assemble interlocked architectures at the solution:surface interface, specifically polymer resins, is discussed.

Herein we report the development of a new series of surface bound triazolium based anion sensors. Differences in the chemical reactivity and anion binding properties were observed; highlighting the need for good surface characterisation techniques such as HR MAS NMR.