Molecular topology

thumbnail|230px|Crystal structure of a catenane with a cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene)|cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) [[macrocycle reported by Stoddart and coworkers. ]]

thumb|Graphical representation of a rotaxane thumb|Structure of a rotaxane that has a cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene)|cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) [[macrocycle.]]

Olympiadane is a mechanically interlocked molecule composed of five interlocking macrocycles that resembles the Olympic rings. The molecule is a linear pentacatenane or a [5]catenane. It was synthesized and named by Fraser Stoddart and coworkers in 1994. The molecule was designed without any practical use in mind, although other catenanes may have possible application to the construction of a molecular computer.

class of chemical compounds

molecules or ions that are connected as a consequence of their topology

class of chemical compounds

Topoisomers or topological isomers are molecules with the same chemical formula and stereochemical bond connectivities but different topologies. Examples of molecules for which there exist topoisomers include DNA, which can form knots, and catenanes. Each topoisomer of a given DNA molecule possesses a different linking number associated with it. DNA topoisomers can be interchanged by enzymes called topoisomerases. Using a topoisomerase along with an intercalator, topoisomers with different linking number may be separated on an agarose gel via gel electrophoresis. thumb|center|Three topoisomers

concept in chemistry