Extended Data Fig. 2: Probing the effect of the knotted conformation with macrocyclic strands.
From: Knotting a molecular strand can invert macroscopic effects of chirality
a, Treatment of macrocycle 5 with Lu(OTf)3 does not produce a trefoil knot due to topological restrictions, nor does this operation invert macroscopic chirality in liquid crystals. Conditions: Lu(OTf)3, MeCN, 80 °C, 24 h. b, CD spectra of the mixture obtained upon complexation of 5 with Lu(OTf)3 (purple trace, MeCN, 298 K) overlaid with reference knot spectrum belonging to Λ-Lu1 (green trace, MeCN, 298 K). Normalized for absorbance. c, d, Polarized optical image of θ-cell filled with ZLI-1083 nematic host doped with 0.1 wt% of 5 after complexation with Lu(OTf)3 (c) and after decomplexation with tetramethylammonium fluoride (d). Notice that handedness of the chiral nematic liquid crystal is not modified. Thickness of the θ-cell is 50 µm. Scale bars correspond to 200 μm.
