From catenanes to mechanically-linked polymers

Dramatic recent advances in the synthesis of [2]catenanes, together with an increased understanding of the dynamics and properties of the mechanical bond, have made available for the first time bulk quantities of topologically complex building blocks, which can form the basis of a new generation of mechanically-linked macromolecules. Highlights include the application of ring closing metathesis to catenane synthesis, catenanes formed under thermodynamic control and the preparation of the first linear main chain oligomers and polymers with mechanically-linked backbones.