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Updated: Jun 19, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Intermolecular aurophilic interactions facilitate assembly of a complex rotaxane in solution
Ulrike E I Horvath1, Jean M McKenzie, Stephanie Cronje
1Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, University of Stellenbosch, 7602 Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Abstract:
We describe the formation of a complex [2]rotaxane both in solution and in the solid state. The rotaxane ring is composed of a cyclic trinuclear gold complex and the Au(PMe(3))(2)(+) rod is held in place by three aurophilic interactions to the ring Au atoms. The existence of the [2]rotaxane in solution is confirmed by VT-NMR and MS analysis.
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