Social Self-Sorting Synthesis of Molecular Knots.

ABSTRACT: We report the synthesis of molecular prime and composite knots by social self-sorting of 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide (pdc) ligands of differing topicity and stereochemistry. Upon mixing achiral monotopic and ditopic pdc-ligand strands in a 1:1:1 ratio with Lu(III), a well-defined heteromeric complex featuring one of each ligand strand and the metal ion is selectively formed. Introducing point-chiral centers into the ligands leads to single-sense helical stereochemistry of the resulting coordination complex. Covalent capture of the entangled structure by ring-closing olefin metathesis then gives a socially self-sorted trefoil knot of single topological handedness. In a related manner, a heteromeric molecular granny knot (a six-crossing composite knot featuring two trefoil tangles of the same

SUBMITTER: Ashbridge Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9501921 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature