Search

Benzylic amide-based interlocked molecular architectures are becoming important players in the super-molecular field. They take the form of either catenanes or rotaxanes (which are not true supramolecular systems since the separation of the two independent molecules requires breaking of a chemical bond). Subsequent to their synthesis, much effort carried out by several groups has been aimed at measuring, understanding, controlling and directing the dynamics of unique degrees of freedom that arise from the formation of the mechanical bond between the two systems where either one ring is threaded through the cavity of another or the same ring is locked onto a dumbbell molecule. Here I present a review of the computer modeling performed in recent years on these systems with the final aim of discussing the recent unidirectional rotation that has been achieved for a very special catenane composed by three interlocked rings. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore an ability to use alkyl-substituted porphyrins and phthalocyanines as a template for the immobilization and arrangement of various kinds of useful functional molecules, we examined the stability of self-organized 2-dimensional structures of alkyl-substituted porphyrins (C12OPP and C18OPP) and phthalocyanines (CuPcOC8) formed on graphite surface. We considered the stability of the self-organized 2-dimensional structures on the basis of the desorption law. The magnitude of total activation energy for desorption became large in order of C12OPP, CuPcOC8, and C18OPP. The difference in the total desorption energy correlates with the domain sizes of each molecule observed by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The fine STM images of mixture of C18OPP and pyridine-coordinated C18OPP rhodium chloride, which used as a substitution of useful functional molecules, indicate that alkyl-substituted porphyrin and phthalocyanine molecules are useful as a template for the directed arrangement of various kinds of useful functional molecules, such as rotaxanes. © 2003 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]