Interpenetrated molecules: crown-ether and linear organic molecule supramolecular architectures

In this review, pseudorotaxanes and rotaxanes structured out of simple crown ethers and linear organic molecules with positively charged nitrogen centres (i.e., quaternary pyridinium groups, viologens like paraquat and also extended viologens, imidazolium groups, benzimidazolium groups, bis-benzimidazolium groups and their derivatives) are described. Some selected examples of such systems are assembled here with respect to their properties and applications.