title: Metallosupramolecular self-assembly of a universal 3-ravel.
abstract: In the realm of supramolecular chemistry, a small number of intricately interwoven structures that bridge the boundaries between art and science have been reported. These motifs, which typically form on the nanometre scale, display both considerable beauty and complexity. However, the generation of new topologies of this type has remained a very significant synthetic challenge. Here, we describe the synthesis of a discrete highly intertwined metallosupramolecular assembly based on a universal 3-ravel motif-a topology as yet unprecedented in supramolecular chemistry. The exotic, 20-component, [Fe(8)L(12)] ravel entanglement may be considered as a 'branched knot', with individual molecules displaying either left- or right-handed chirality. The formation of this cluster was demonstrated by single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. The arrangement is stabilized by a favourable combination of π-π interactions and Nature's tendency to minimize voids in molecular architectures.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Building F11, The University of Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jack K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Clegg
authors.forename: Leonard F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Lindoy
authors.forename: René B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Macquart
authors.forename: George V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Meehan
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D007930:Leucine / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D058085:Iron Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D007930:Leucine