Macrocyclic molecules contain rings made up of seven or more atoms.They are interesting because they provide building blocks forsynthesizing precise two or three dimensional structures - animportant goal in nanotechnology. For example, they can be used todevelop nanosized reaction vessels, cages, switches and shuttles,and have potential as components in molecular computers. They alsohave applications as catalysts and sensors.Macrocycles: Construction, Chemistry andNanotechnology Applications is an essentialintroduction this important class of molecules and describes how tosynthesise them, their chemistry, how they can be used asnanotechnology building blocks, and their applications. A widerange of structures synthesised over the past few decades arecovered, from the simpler cyclophanes and multi-ring aromaticstructures to vases, bowls, cages and more complex multi-ringsystems and 3D architectures such as "pumpkins",interlocking chains and knots. Topics covered include:* principles of macrocycle synthesis* simple ring compounds* multi-ring aromatic structures* porphyrins and phthalocanines* cyclophanes* crown ethers, cryptands and spherands* calixarenes, resorcinarenes, cavitands, carcerands, andheterocalixarenes* cyclodextrins* cucurbiturils* cyclotriveratylenes* rotaxanes* catenanes* complex 3D architectures, including trefoils and knotsMacrocycles: Construction, Chemistry andNanotechnology Applications distills the essence ofthis important topic for undergraduate and postgraduate students,and for researchers in other fields interested in getting a generalinsight into this increasingly important class of molecules.