Molecular catenanes, rotaxanes, and knots: a journey through the world of molecular topology

Chemical topology: statistical musings -- A knot theoretic approach to molecular chirality -- Soft and hard molecule-based magnets with a fully interlocked three-dimentional structure -- Transition metal-incorporating catananes -- Catenane and rotaxane motifs in interpenetrating and self-penetrating coordination polymers -- Molecular knots: from early attempts to high-yield template syntheses -- Organic template-directed syntheses of catananes, rotaxanes, and knots -- Amide-based catenanes, rotaxanes and pretzelanes -- Polymer chains in constraining environments -- Polycatenanes, ploy[2]catenanes, and polymeric catenanes -- Polyrotaxanes: syntheses and properties -- Synthetic DNA topology.

This journey through the fascinating world of molecular topology focuses on catenanes, rotaxanes and knots, their synthesis, properties, and applications and the theory of interlocking and interpenetrating molecules. Nearly one hundred years of progress have passed since Willstätter's speculative vision of a molecule consisting of two interlinked rings. But even today the synthesis of such structures are a challenge to the creativity of synthetic chemists. These molecules are not only of academic interest, since they occur naturally. In such molecules as DNA, knots and related topological feat