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Updated: Apr 18, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Molecular motion of donor-acceptor catenanes in water
Fabien B L Cougnon1, Nandhini Ponnuswamy, G Dan Pantoş
1Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Lensfield Road, Cambridge, CB2 1EW, UK.
Abstract:
In this article, we use (1)H NMR spectroscopy to study the spontaneous molecular motion of donor-acceptor [2]catenanes in water. Our data supports the hypothesis that conformational motion dominantly occurs through a pirouetting mechanism, which involves less exposure of hydrophobic surfaces than in a rotation mechanism. Motion is controlled by the size of the catenane rings and the arrangement of the electron-deficient and electron-rich aromatic units.
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