Directed synthesis of [2]catenanes incorporating naphthalenediimide and crown ethers by associated interactions of templates.

In this paper, we introduce a simple one-step method to synthesize [2]catenanes incorporating naphthalenediimide and crown ethers by associated interactions of templates. In this functional supermolecular system, the combined hydrogen-bond and π-donor/π-acceptor interactions led production of the [2]catenanes which exhibit reversible moving of the crown ether macrocycle on the big ring between two stations via de/reprotonation. This movement on the big ring can change the electron interaction, resulting in strong quenching of the emission of naphthalene diimide.