Self-assembly of interlocked supramolecular dendrimers

Interlocked supramolecular dendrimers were spontaneously self-assembled from molecular components, metallocycles, and dumbbells bearing benzyl ether repeating units. Here, the metallocycles were in situ self-assembled from L-shaped ligands with dendritic branches, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene and osmium tetraoxide. The supramolecular dendrimers were stabilized by hydrogen-bonding interactions between the pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide unit in the metallocycle and the adipamide unit in the dumbbell.