title: Three-dimensional aromatic networks.
abstract: Three-dimensional (3D) networks consisting of aromatic units and linkers are reviewed from various aspects. To understand principles for the construction of such compounds, we generalize the roles of building units, the synthetic approaches, and the classification of networks. As fundamental compounds, cyclophanes with large aromatic units and aromatic macrocycles with linear acetylene linkers are highlighted in terms of transannular interactions between aromatic units, conformational preference, and resolution of chiral derivatives. Polycyclic cage compounds are constructed from building units by linkages via covalent bonds, metal-coordination bonds, or hydrogen bonds. Large cage networks often include a wide range of guest species in their cavity to afford novel inclusion compounds. Topological isomers consisting of two or more macrocycles are formed by cyclization of preorganized species. Some complicated topological networks are constructed by self-assembly of simple building units.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridaicho, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan, stoyo@chem.ous.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Toyota
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwanaga