Weaving on the molecular scale

Although items exhibiting topology are ubiquitous in everyday life, the realization of topology at the nanoscale level relies on innovative synthetic strategies. A molecular weaving strategy, recently reported in Nature Chemistry and Nature by Leigh and co-workers, has outlined the precise synthesis of a molecular 7₄ knot and a two-dimensional molecular fabric. These breakthroughs hard on the heels of each other open up a new route for incorporating predictable, well-defined topologies into molecular architectures. They will fuel the exploitation of advanced materials with topology-related properties.