A new type of insulated molecular wire: a rotaxane derived from a metal-capped conjugated tetrayne

The platinum butadiynyl complex trans-(C(6)F(5))(p-tol(3)P)(2)Pt(C≡C)(2)H and a CuI adduct of a 1,10-phenanthroline based 33-membered macrocycle react in the presence of K(2)CO(3) and I(2) or O(2) to give a rotaxane (ca. 9%) in which the macrocycle is threaded by the sp carbon chain of trans,trans-(C(6)F(5))(p-tol(3)P)(2)Pt(C≡C)(4)Pt(Pp-tol(3))(2)(C(6)F(5)). The crystal structure and macrocycle/axle electronic interactions are analyzed in detail.