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Pure Appl. Chem., 2010, Vol. 82, No. 8, pp. 1569-1574

http://dx.doi.org/10.1351/PAC-CON-10-02-09

Published online 2010-05-18

Mechanostereochemistry

Mark A. Olson1, Youssry Y. Botros2,3 and J. Fraser Stoddart1*

1 Department of Chemistry and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
2 Intel Labs/KACST, Building RNB-6-61, 2200 Mission College Boulevard, Santa Clara, CA 95054, USA
3 National Center for Nano Technology Research, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh 11442, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Stereochemistry—in both its static and dynamic variants—has progressed apace now for more than a century to incorporate all aspects of covalent, coordinative, and noncovalent bonding at levels of structure which encompass constitution, configuration, and conformation. The advent of the mechanical bond in more recent times is now providing opportunities for the emergence of new stereochemical tenets and concepts, some of which bear close analogies with those of days gone by in chemistry. Since terminology helps to define and disseminate a discipline, we advocate that the term “mechanostereochemistry” be used to describe the chemistry of molecules with mechanical bonds.