The chemical synthesis of (functional) materials is in a state of rapid development and flux these days.  The profound influence that supramolecular chemistry has had on the development of chemical science during the past few decades has led, in the first instance, to supramolecular assistance to covalent synthesis, and subsequently to dynamic coordinative and covalent synthesis.  Templation is central to success whichever variant of the synthetic protocols is being employed. The lecture will focus on the reversible nature of for example (i) imine bond formation and (ii) irreversible copper-catalyzed Huisgen dipolar 1,3-cycloaddition, all happening in some context or other where templation through metal coordination, donor-acceptor interactions and/or hydrogen bonding is operative.  The products will all be mechanically interlocked compounds, including (bistable) catenanes and (bistable) rotaxanes, Borromean rings, Solomon links, and molecular bundles and switches.  Functions, that will be addressed, will include nanovalves and molecular memory.  

A Structural and Functional Collage