Naphthalenediimide – A Unique Motif in Macrocyclic and Interlocked Supramolecular Structures

This review presents a survey through macrocyclic and interlocked structures containing 1,4,5,8‐naphthalendiimide residues from the synthetic point of view and also illustrates the structural particularities that dictate their main applications in supramolecular, biological and materials chemistry. The paper is organised as a comprehensive description of macrocycles, cyclophanes, catenanes, rotaxanes and metallamacrocycles along with other types of supramolecular interlocked architectures. For each category, we present the synthetic approach, the structural investigation of their properties and the developed applications as semiconductors, energy storage devices, photovoltaics, artificial photosystems, sensors, catalysts or molecular machines.