Self-assembly of bis-[1]rotaxanes based on diverse thiourea-bridged mono-functionalized dipillar[5]arenes

A Thiourea-Based Rotaxane Catalyst: Nucleophilic Fluorination Phase-Transfer Process Unlocked by the Mechanical Bond

We report a five-component clipping approach using activated isophthaloyl-derived esters to synthesize an amide-based thiourea rotaxane. This method overcomes acyl chloride limitations with nucleophilic thiourea threads. The steric hindrance of the mechanical bond enables, for the first time, an interlocked thiourea as a hydrogen-bonding phase-transfer organocatalyst in nucleophilic fluorinations. This highlights how mechanical bonds expand thiourea catalysis to processes previously incompatible with conventional catalysts.

Polyurethane Elastomers Strengthened by Pseudo[1]rotaxanes Based on Pillararenes

As a unique property of the interlocked structures, rotaxane allows for intramolecular motions between its wheel and axle components. Introduction of rotaxanes into polymers can endow them with distinctive macroscopic features and outstanding mechanical properties. Here, we prepare a copillar[5]arene with a hydroxyl and an amino-group on each end, which can spontaneously form a pseudo[1]rotaxane through intramolecular hydrogen bonds. This pseudo[1]rotaxane possesses a releasable extra alkyl chain, which is then incorporated into a linear polyurethane by reacting with a diisocyanate to prepare polyurethane elastomers with spring-like structures. The results of stress-strain test and dynamic mechanical analysis all indicate that sliding motions of the axle part on the pseudo[1]rotaxane in the polymer skeleton can greatly dissipate energy, which endows the elastomers with higher toughness and better fatigue resistance. Moreover, the addition of moderate amount of cuprous bromide to form cuprous-thioether coordination in the polymers can further improve the mechanical properties.

Noncovalently bound and mechanically interlocked systems using pillar[n]arenes

Pillar[n]arenes are pillar-shaped macrocyclic compounds owing to the methylene bridges linking the para-positions of the units. Owing to their unique pillar-shaped structures, these compounds exhibit various excellent properties compared with other cyclic host molecules, such as versatile functionality using various organic synthesis techniques, substituent-dependent solubility, cavity-size-dependent host-guest properties in organic media, and unit rotation along with planar chiral inversion. These advantages have enabled the high-yield synthesis and rational design of pillar[n]arene-based mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs). In particular, new types of pillar[n]arene-based MIMs that can dynamically convert between interlocked and unlocked states through unit rotation have been produced. The highly symmetrical pillar-shaped structures of pillar[n]arenes result in simple NMR spectra, which are useful for studying the motion of pillar[n]arene wheels in MIMs and creating sophisticated MIMs with higher-order structures. The creation and application of polymeric MIMs based on pillar[n]arenes is also discussed.