A [13]rotaxane assembled via a palladium molecular capsule.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 31420545.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-11635-6 and PMC identifier 6697691.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Molecules that are the size of small proteins are difficult to make. The most frequently examined route is via self-assembly, and one particular approach involves molecular nanocapsules, where ligands are designed that will enforce the formation of specific polyhedra of metals within the core of the structure. Here we show that this approach can be combined with mechanically interlocking molecules to produce nanocapsules that are decorated on their exterior. This could be a general route to very large molecules, and is exemplified here by the synthesis and structural characterization of a [13]rotaxane, containing 150 metal centres. Small angle X-ray scattering combined with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate the compound is intact in solution.