Thanthapatra BunchuayAndrew DockerAntonio J. Martinez-MartinezPaul D. BeerUniversity of OxfordMahidol University2020-01-272020-01-272019-09-23Angewandte Chemie - International Edition. Vol.58, No.39 (2019), 13823-1382715213773143378512-s2.0-85070806901https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/50501© 2019 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim The covalent attachment of electron deficient perfluoroaryl substituents to a bis-iodotriazole pyridinium group produces a remarkably potent halogen bonding donor motif for anion recognition in aqueous media. Such a motif also establishes halogen bonding anion templation as a highly efficient method for constructing a mechanically interlocked molecule in unprecedented near quantitative yield. The resulting bis-perfluoroaryl substituted iodotriazole pyridinium axle containing halogen bonding [2]rotaxane host exhibits exceptionally strong halide binding affinities in competitive 50 % water containing aqueous media, by a factor of at least three orders of magnitude greater in comparison to a hydrogen bonding rotaxane host analogue. These observations further champion and advance halogen bonding as a powerful tool for recognizing anions in aqueous media.Mahidol UniversityChemical EngineeringChemistryArticleSCOPUS10.1002/anie.201907625