ONE-STEP SYNTHESIS OF A FOURFOLD FUNCTIONALIZED CATENANE

One of the simplest catenane syntheses is the reaction described here providing tetramethoxycatenane 1 (R = OCH3). This catenane is conformationally less flexible than its known, unsubstituted analogue (R = H): in the H-1 NMR spectrum of 1 the two signals arising from the OCH, groups indicate a fixed conformation with inner and outer methoxy groups.