Isogonal 2-periodic polycatenanes: chain mail.

Abstract

For 2-periodic polycatenanes with isogonal (vertex-transitive) embeddings, the basic units linked are torus knots and links including the unknots (untangled polygons). Twenty-four infinite families have been identified, with hexagonal, tetragonal or rectangular symmetry. The simplest members of each family are described and illustrated. A method for determining the catenation number of a ring based on electromagnetic theory is described.