The recent development of cyclo-para-phenylenes has demonstrated the feasibility of radial π systems in nanohoop structures, especially in the crystalline state. However, in contrast to macrocyclic molecules with benzene units, which have a several-decades-long history, macrocycles composed solely of naphthylene units (the smallest acene) have been much less explored. Although two examples of cyclonaphthylenes have been reported to date, neither possesses a radial π system. We herein report the first example of belt-shaped cyclonaphthylenes with curved π systems. The molecule, [8]cyclo-amphi-naphthylene, is linked at the 2,6-positions of the naphthylene units, thus affording belt-shaped molecules. Although the molecular structures are flexible, which allows for rotation of the naphthylene units in solution, they can be rigidified with the aid of methylene bridges to afford persistent molecular structures in solution.

The recent development of cyclo-para-phenylenes has demonstrated the feasibility of radial π systems in nanohoop structures, especially in the crystalline state. However, in contrast to macrocyclic molecules with benzene units, which have a several-decades-long history, macrocycles composed solely of naphthylene units (the smallest acene) have been much less explored. Although two examples of cyclonaphthylenes have been reported to date, neither possesses a radial π system. We herein report the first example of belt-shaped cyclonaphthylenes with curved π systems. The molecule, [8]cyclo-amphi-naphthylene, is linked at the 2,6-positions of the naphthylene units, thus affording belt-shaped molecules. Although the molecular structures are flexible, which allows for rotation of the naphthylene units in solution, they can be rigidified with the aid of methylene bridges to afford persistent molecular structures in solution.

Chimeric RNA oligonucleotides with an artificial triazole linker were synthesized using solution-phase click chemistry and solid-phase automated synthesis. Scalable synthesis methods for jointing units for the chimeric structure have been developed, and after click-coupling of the jointing units with triazole linkers, a series of chimeric oligonucleotides was prepared by utilizing the well-established phosphoramidite method for the elongation. The series of chimeric 21-mer oligonucleotides that possessed the triazole linker at different strands and positions allowed for a screening study of the RNA interference to clarify the preference of the triazole modifications in small-interfering RNA molecules.

Click chemistry has provided us with access to DNA and RNA analogues with non-natural triazole internucleoside linkages. The bond periodicity of the oligonucleotides was designed to enforce duplex formation with natural congeners, and the non-cleavable linkages protect the oligomers against nuclease digestion. This account reviews the progress of the triazole-linked analogues over the past five years. Reinforced by their synthetic robustness, these analogues may find various utilities as tools for exploratory research.

Silacyclophanes possessing two disilanyl pillars were synthesized from tricyclic heteroarenes in one-pot synthetic procedures. The step-like anti structures of three congeners bearing two heteroarene units were revealed in single crystals by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Depending on the structures of aromatic units, torsion angles at the disilanyl pillars altered to maintain the overall step-like molecular structures. The structure, however, fluctuated between anti and syn conformers in a solution phase despite the presence of eight methyl groups on the ring periphery. The analysis of the coalescence temperature with NMR spectroscopy showed the fundamental energetics of the dynamics. The subtle structural differences affected the dynamic behavior of the silacyclophanes.

A new series of silacyclophanes with two disilanyl pillars has been synthesized using a straightforward method. A silylation reaction of 1,8-dilithioanthracenes allowed the connection of two anthracene rings with two SiSi bonds to afford disilanyl double-pillared bisanthracenes (^SiDPBAs). The major product had an anti geometry of the anthracene rings, and a unique steplike structure favorable for σ–π conjugations was revealed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Upon introducing a substituent at the 10-position of anthracene, we obtained a U-shaped isomer with syn geometry that yielded an excimer upon excitation and can decompose without steric protection.

A phosphate-eliminated nonnatural oligonucleotide serves as a primer surrogate in reverse transcription reaction of mRNA. Despite of the nonnatural triazole linkages in the surrogate, the reverse transcriptase effectively elongated cDNA sequences on the 3′-downstream of the primer by transcription of the complementary sequence of mRNA. A structure–activity comparison with the reference natural oligonucleotides shows the superior priming activity of the surrogate containing triazole-linkages. The nonnatural linkages also protect the transcribed cDNA from digestion reactions with 5′-exonuclease and enable us to remove noise transcripts of unknown origins.