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Efficient flow synthesis of a Star of David [2]catenane and a pentafoil knot

Chenchen Du, Alex C. Padgham, Anna G. Slater*, Liang Zhang*. Chem (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chempr.2024.09.027.

Phosphorescent metallaknots of Au(I)-bis(acetylide) strands directed by Cu(I) π-coordination

Ya-Zi Huang, Raorao Yang, Liang Zhang*, Zhong-Ning Chen*. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 121, e2403721121 (2024).

Cinquefoil Knot Possessing Dynamic and Tunable Metal Coordination

Qi Zhou, Xue Dong, Guanyu Chi, Xiao-Yu Cao*, Ningjin Zhang, Shitao Wu, Yanhang Ma, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Liang Zhang*. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 146, 22405–22412 (2024). [For highlights of this paper see, "Knotting ligands to control metal coordination geometry", Fabien B. L. Cougnon. Sci. China Chem. 67 (2024), "Molecular Knots Tied with Different Metal Ions", ChemistryViews, 8th Aug. 2024 and “Post-synthetic tuning of metal coordination on entangled scaffolds”, Yuya Domoto, Chem (2024), preview].

What Can Topology Bring to Chemistry?

Wei Wang, Songtao Zhou, Xiujun Yu, Qing-Hui Guo*, Yanhang Ma*, Jie Song*, Liang Zhang*, Xuzhou Yan*, Lu Han*, Qing Liao*, Xiaopeng Li*, Wen-Bin Zhang*, Yiyong Mai*, Shaodong Zhang*, Shunai Che*, Hai-Bo Yang*, Xuefeng Fu*, Mei-Xiang Wang. CCS Chem. 6, 2084–2109 (2024).

Changing Liquid Crystal Helical Pitch with a Reversible Rotaxane Switch

Sujun Chen, Nathalie Katsonis*, David A.Leigh*, Manee Patanapongpibul, Alexander Ryabchun, Liang Zhang*. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 63, e202401291 (2024).

Theoretical investigation of the lack of chiral self-sorting behaviour of a molecular cinquefoil knot

Xinyi Zhao, Raorao Yang, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Tong Zhu*, Liang Zhang*. Supramol. Chem. 34, 247–256 (2023).

A protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of a Star of David [2]catenane

Weitao Ye, Hai-Na Feng, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Liang Zhang*. STAR Protocols 5, 102821 (2023).

A stereoselective protocol for the synthesis of a molecular cinquefoil (5-1) knot

Jing Han, Zekun Liu, Raorao Yang, Fan Yang, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Liang Zhang*. STAR Protocols 4, 102398 (2023).

Single-Molecule Studies on Artificial Small-Molecule Machines

Zhi-Hui Zhang, Hai-Na Feng, Guanyu Chi, David A. Leigh*, Liang Zhang*. CCS Chem. 5, 2448–2465 (2023).

Strain imposed by knotting

Liang Zhang*, J. Fraser Stoddart*. Chem 8, 2909-2911 (2023). [Invited Preview].

Poly[n]catenane from reticular chemistry

Changqing Xu, Liang Zhang*. Matter 6, 1065-1068 (2023). [Invited Preview].

A Star of David [2]catenane of single handedness

Hai-Na Feng, Zhanhu Sun, Sujun Chen, Zhi-Hui Zhang, Zhiming Li, Zhiye Zhong, Tu Sun, Yanhang Ma, Liang Zhang*. Chem 9, 859-868 (2023). [Back-to-Back Articles. For highlights of this paper see, "Making chiral molecular knots and links stereospecifically", Fraser Stoddart et al. (Nobel laureate 2016) Natl. Sci. Rev. 10, nwad041 (2023) and "Stereoselective synthesis of topologically chiral molecular entanglements", Jamie Lewis. Chem 9, 762–770 (2023), preview. “Be your own star", Hai-Na Feng. Chem 9, 759–761 (2023), potential energy]. [Detailed protocol see, "A protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of a Star of David [2]catenane”, Weitao Ye, Hai-Na Feng, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Liang Zhang*. STAR Protocols 5, 102821 (2023)].

Completely stereospecific synthesis of a molecular cinquefoil (5-1) knot

Zhi-Hui Zhang, Qi Zhou, Zhiming Li, Ningjin Zhang, Liang Zhang*. [Back-to-Back Articles, Featured on the cover of Chem]. [Detailed protocol see, "A stereoselective protocol for the synthesis of a molecular cinquefoil (5-1) knot", Jing Han, Zekun Liu, Raorao Yang, Fan Yang, Zhi-Hui Zhang*, Liang Zhang*. STAR Protocols 4, 102398 (2023)".

Mechanical tightening of a synthetic molecular knot

Matteo Calvaresi, Anne-Sophie Duwez*, David A. Leigh*, Damien Sluysmans, Yiwei Song, Francesco Zerbetto*, Liang Zhang*. Chem 9, 65–75 (2023). [Featured on the cover of Chem. "Tied up but resilient: synthetic knots show their strength”, Nature 613, 416 (2023), research highlight].

Knotting matters: orderly molecular entanglements

Zoe Ashbridge, Stephen D. P. Fielden, David A. Leigh*, Lucian Pirvu, Fredrik Schaufelberger, Liang Zhang. Chem. Soc. Rev. 51, 7779-7809 (2022). [Featured on the cover of Chem. Soc. Rev.].

When push comes to shove

Zhang, L. Nat. Chem. 14, 125–128 (2022).

Doping Free and Amorphous NiOx Film via UV Irradiation for Efficient Inverted Perovskite Solar Cells

Qing Lian, Peng-lai Wang, Guoliang Wang, Xian Zhang, Yulan Huang, Dongyang Li, Guojun Mi, Run Shi, Abbas Amini, Liang Zhang*, Chun Cheng*. Adv. Sci. 9, 2201543 (2022).

Molecular weaving

Zhi-Hui Zhang, Björn J. Andreassen, David P. August, David A. Leigh*, Liang Zhang*. Nat. Mater. 21, 275-283 (2022). [Featured on the cover of Nat. Mater.].

Real-time observation of the dynamics of an individual rotaxane molecular shuttle using a single-molecule junction

Sujun Chen, Dingkai Su, Chuancheng Jia, Yanwei Li, Xingxing Li, Xuefeng Guo*, David A. Leigh*, Liang Zhang*. Chem 8, 243-252 (2022).

New synthetic strategies hold promise for the future of molecular nanotopology

Liang Zhang*. Chem 7, 1407-1409 (2021).

Effects of turn-structure on folding and entanglement in artificial molecular overhand knots

Yiwei Song, Fredrik Schaufelberger, Zoe Ashbridge, Lucian Pirvu, Iñigo J. Vitorica-Yrezabal, David A. Leigh*. Chem. Sci. 12, 1826-1833 (2021).

A molecular endless (7-4) knot

David A. Leigh*, Jonathan J. Danon, Stephen D. P. Fielden, Jean-François Lemonnier, George F. S. Whitehead, Steffen L. Woltering. Nat. Chem. 13, 117-122 (2021). [Featured on the cover of Nat. Chem. Behind-the-paper blogpost: 'Knots - an endless challenge', David A. Leigh].