The first ‘Molecule of the Week’ (MotW) is a gold(I) catenane published in the current issue of Angewandte Chemie International Edition (Goldup, S.M.; Leigh, D.A.; Lusby, P.J.; McBurney, R.T.; Slawin, A.M.Z. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 6999-7003). Catenanes consist of two or more interlocking macrocycles, think of a magician’s ‘linking rings.’ I chose this molecule simply because I think it’s wickedly cool, and that’s enough for me, although they, along with rotaxanes, have potential as molecular machines. Check out David Leigh’s site for more information on catenanes and rotaxanes.

Clicking on the picture opens a window with an applet that lets you manipulate the molecule. Have fun!

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