Front Cover: Mechanically Interlocked Molecules for Biomedical Applications (Eur. J. Org. Chem. 37/2021)

Abstract

The Front Cover shows an artistic rendition of a cell culture incorporating mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs), illustrating different strategies in which they have been applied for biological and medical functions. MIMs have been used to create smart drugs and endow theranostic materials with advantageous properties. They have also been used to construct sensors for various biologically relevant targets. The special dynamic properties of rotaxanes have also been exploited to build transmembrane transporters. Another exciting avenue of research is the construction of functional mechanically interlocked protein- and DNA-structures. The authors would like to thank Dana Kauerhof for help with creating the graphic. More information can be found in the Minireview by J. Niemeyer et al.