cavity of one of its two macrocyclic components has been designed and synthesized using supramolecular assistance. This recognition motif has been exploited to template the formation of a so-called rotacatenane – i.e., a molecule composed of a dumbbell-shaped component threaded through the cavity of one of the two mechanically interlocked macrocyclic components of a [2]catenane. The structure of this [2]catenane