title: Triply Threaded [4]Rotaxanes.
abstract: [4]Rotaxanes featuring three axles threaded through a single ring have been prepared through active metal template synthesis. Nickel-catalyzed sp(3)-sp(3) homocouplings of alkyl bromide "half-threads" through 37- and 38-membered 2,2':6',2″-terpyridyl macrocycles generate triply threaded [4]rotaxanes in up to 11% yield. An analogous 39-membered macrocycle produced no rotaxane products under similar conditions. The constitutions of the [4]rotaxanes were determined by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Doubly threaded [3]rotaxanes were also obtained from the reactions but no [2]rotaxanes were isolated, suggesting that upon demetalation the axle of a singly threaded rotaxane can slip through a macrocycle that is sufficiently large to accommodate three threads.
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
authors: Jonathan J
authors: JJ
authors: Danon
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.|School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh , The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom.
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Leigh
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh , The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom.
authors: Paul R
authors: PR
authors: McGonigal
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Manchester , Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom.
authors: John W
authors: JW
authors: Ward
authors: School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh , The King's Buildings, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JJ, United Kingdom.
authors: Jhenyi
authors: J
authors: Wu