File:Interlocked Polyiodides.png

English: From discrete iodide ions (I^-) and diiodine molecules (I₂) to self-assembled interlocked chains of polyiodide anions. Portion of the infinite supramolecular pseudo-polyrotaxane with a poly[3]catenane axle formed by the tetracationic Stoddart’s Blue Box (cyclobis-paraquat-p-phenylene, blue stick) and polyiodide anions I₃^- and I₅^-. 14-membered fused rings of I₅^- anions (pink) are interlocked with 2 Blue Box molecules each in a repeating [3]catenane fashion. This constitutes the axle of an infinite pseudo-polyrotaxane as larger 22-terms (I₅)₂(I₃)₄ polyiodide rings (violet) are threaded onto it. Actual size of violet external rings: 24.3 × 9.3 Å. View of I₅@BB@(I₅)(I₃)₂ crystal structure generated using UCSF Chimera software. I₅@BB@(I₅)(I₃)₂ crystal structure has been reported by ourselves, see Savastano M, Bazzicalupi C, Gellini C, Bianchi A, Chem. Commun., 2020, Advance Article, DOI:10.1039/C9CC08367G. Image was generated using UCSF Chimera software, developed by the Resource for Biocomputing, Visualization, and Informatics at the University of California, San Francisco, with support from NIH P41-GM103311, see Pettersen EF, Goddard TD, Huang CC, Couch GS, Greenblatt DM, Meng EC, Ferrin TE. J Comput Chem. 2004, 25, 1605-12. web: https://www.cgl.ucsf.edu/chimera/. Cyclobis-paraquat-p-phenylene first synthesized and reported by J. Fraser Stoddart and co-workers, see Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 1988, 27, 1547-1550.