title: Conjugated macrocycles: concepts and applications.
abstract: One of the most important objectives in materials, chemical, and physical sciences is the creation of large conjugated macrocycles with well-defined shapes, since such molecules are not only theoretically and experimentally interesting but also have potential applications in nanotechnology. Fully unsaturated macrocycles are regarded as models for infinitely conjugated π systems with inner cavities, and exhibit unusual optical and magnetic behavior. Macrocycles have interior and exterior sites, and site-specific substitution at both or either site can afford attractive structures, such as 1D, 2D, and 3D supramolecular nanostructures. These nanostructures could be controlled through the use of π-extended large macrocycles by a bottom-up strategy. Numerous shape-persistent π-conjugated macrocycles have been synthesized, but only a few are on the nanoscale. This Review focuses on nanosized π-conjugated macrocycles (>1 nm diameter) and giant macrocycles (>2 nm diameter), and summarizes their syntheses and properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan. iyoda@tmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iyoda
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamakawa
authors.forename: M Jalilur
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rahman