Self-Assembly of Novel Polyrotaxanes: Main-Chain Pseudopolyrotaxanes with Poly(ester crown ether) Backbones

Not threading rings on chains, but chains through rings results in a new class of main-chain polyrotaxanes. The cations of bipyridinium salts thread through the crown ether units of a poly(ester crown ether) chain (shown below). The threading efficiency m/n of the polyrotaxane is controlled by stoichiometry and temperature.