Non-covalent Interaction-directed Coordination-driven Self-assembly of Non-trivial Supramolecular Topologies

The design of molecules with non-trivial topologies is an essential step in the development of methods to mimic biological transformation in artificial systems. However, the generation of supramolecular topologies of increasing complexity, such as [n]catenanes, rotaxanes, knots and links, is relatively rare and challenging. Primarily, selective and quantitative synthesis of supramolecular topologies is a formidable challenge. Template-free, non-covalent interaction-directed coordination-driven self-assembly provides an alternative approach for constructing non-trivial topologies in selective and quantitative manner. This review briefly summarizes and provides a comprehensive insight into non-trivial topologies obtained via template-free, coordination and non-covalent interaction-driven self-assembly.