Allosterically Driven Assembly of a Multisite Cage-Based [2]Semirotaxane

The assembly of a [2]semirotaxane from a half-dumbbell endowed with a pyrazine coordination site and a bis-Zn(II) porphyrin cage as a multisite ring is reported. The threading is allosterically driven by the coordination of silver(I) ions to the multiple binding sites of the cage linkers, as shown by NMR studies. Addition of chloride ions destabilizes [2]semirotaxane, leading to its disassembly into its cage and half-dumbbell components.