Using ruthenium-catalysed propargylic substitutions for the efficient syntheses of rotaxanes

This Letter describes an efficient method—one that takes advantage of hydrogen bond-guided self-assembly and ruthenium-catalysed propargylic substitution—for the preparation of rotaxanes. The substitution reactions of a pseudorotaxane with a diverse range of heteroatom- and carbon-atom-centred nucleophiles were catalysed by the [(Cp∗)RuCl(SMe)]2 complex to furnish rotaxanes in good yields.