Self-assembled macrocycles with pentavalent silicon linkages

Organic substrates containing two catechol (ortho-dihydroxybenzene) components at opposite ends self-assemble with a silicon substrate containing three nucleofugic groups (methoxy or ethoxy) under basic conditions to produce macrocycles ranging from monomers to pentamers. Silicon in all the macrocycles is pentacoordinate, negatively charged, and possessed of one organic monodentate ligand attached via carbon and two catechol bidentate ligands attached via oxygen. The organic materials with the two catechol structures thus serve as struts between the corners provided by the pentacoordinate silicon atoms.