Active Metal Template Synthesis of Rotaxanes From BINOL‐Phosphate Macrocycles

ABSTRACT We demonstrate the use of macrocyclic BINOL‐phosphates for the active metal template synthesis of [2]rotaxanes via Cu(I)‐mediated alkyne‐azide cycloaddition. This novel methodology represents a key extension of the current active metal template approach beyond nitrogen‐based macrocycles and allowed for the synthesis of 17 differently functionalized chiral rotaxanes in yields up to 93%. Mechanistic studies combining DFT calculations, control experiments, and kinetic experiments support a dinuclear phosphate‐Cu 2 intermediate, which makes the formation of the rotaxanes kinetically competitive. Enabled by this novel methodology, we prepared both diastereomers of highly functionalized interlocked bis‐BINOL rotaxanes.