Facile synthesis of rotaxanes through condensation reactions of DCC-[2]rotaxanes.

[reaction: see text] In this Letter, we present an easy method for the synthesis of rotaxanes using a novel DCC-[2]rotaxane. The DCC-[2]rotaxane is composed of dibenzo-24-crown-8 ether, an amino acid tether, and di-tert-butyl phenyl rings as blocking groups. It is relatively stable and can be purified by column chromatography. A series of model rotaxanes were obtained in good yields by condensing the DCC-[2]rotaxanes with N-(2-aminoethyl)-3,5-di-tert-butylbenzylamide in acetonitrile and chloroform.