The Role of Dethreading Process in Pseudorotaxanes and Rotaxanes towards Advanced Applications: Recent Examples

Abstract

Rotaxanes are a type of mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs), constituted by at least a thread surrounded by a wheel, which are widely employed in the research field of artificial molecular machines. Although applications retaining the integrity of the mechanical bond are usually reported, the dethreading of the components can be crucial to develop some advanced applications. Thus, different dethreading strategies have been reported, and advanced applications which require such a process have turned out to be suitable approaches towards machine-like operation. This review article covers recent examples of applications of pseudorotaxanes and rotaxanes in which dethreading processes have a key role to accomplish the desired function.