An Ion‐Pair Template for Rotaxane Formation and its Exploitation in an Orthogonal Interaction Anion‐Switchable Molecular Shuttle

Chloride control: The serendipitous discovery of a molecular recognition motif that is triggered by the formation of an anion-palladium coordination bond is exploited as an efficient rotaxane-forming template and as the basis of a molecular shuttle. The macrocycle of this rotaxane moves between the two stations when the counterion is changed from chloride to hexafluorophosphate (see picture).