Efficient One-Pot Synthesis of Rotaxanes Bearing Electron Donors and [60]Fullerene

An easy one-pot procedure to synthesize rotaxanes bearing electron donors and C-60 is described. The straightforward strategy, based on copper(I)-templated synthesis and click chemistry, proved to be very efficient and versatile, allowing the preparation of porphyrin- and ferrocene-stoppered fullerene-rotaxanes in high yields. As revealed by NMR analysis and computational studies, the highly flexible porphyrin-fullerene rotaxane can assume different conformations, which are most likely driven by attractive interactions between porphyrin and fullerene moieties.