Glutaconamide-based [2]rotaxanes are efficiently oxidized to the respective interlocked α-ketoamides, whereas their non-interlocked threads afford hydroxycyclohexene tetraamides under similar reaction conditions. These results showcase the mechanically interlocking of highly reactive substrates as a powerful tool for controlling their chemical behavior. Inside the macrocycle and under irradiation with light, the α-ketoamide threads convert, in a divergent manner, into the corresponding interlocked hydroxy-β-lactams or oxazolidinones by two modes of Norrish/Yang type-II intramolecular cyclizations, processes that are efficiently chemocontrolled by the mechanical bond.
Keywords: Chemocontrol; Hydrogen-Bonded Rotaxanes; Mechanical Bond; Norrish/Yang Type II Cyclizations; Selective Oxidation.
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