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Nanocarbons

Interlocked structures on active duty

Interlocking macrocyclic carbon nanomaterials is an exciting way to tune their molecular properties, but all-conjugated catenanes and rotaxanes are extremely challenging to make. Now, fully π-conjugated [2]- and [3]catenanes as well as a [3]rotaxane have been prepared through an ‘active metal template’ approach.

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Fig. 1: Carbon nanomaterials.
Fig. 2: Active template synthesis to mechanically interlocked π-conjugated nanocarbons.

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Correspondence to Fredrik Schaufelberger.

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Das, S., Schaufelberger, F. Interlocked structures on active duty. Nat. Chem. 15, 160–162 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-022-01130-9

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