Rotaxane-based interlocked molecular system has become a hot issue in supramolecular chemistry for years, owing to its various structural architectures and performances. This tutorial review mainly focuses on the synthetic strategies of the rotaxane analogues in recent years. The traditional template-directed strategies of rotaxane preparation including the employment of the supramolecular interaction such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic effect, electrostatic interaction, coordination and ionic template are reviewed, respectively. Some novel synthetic methodologies, like “click” chemistry, “threading-followed-by-shrink- ing” and “threading-followed-by-swelling” protocol, self-sorting organization as well as radical recognition, are also introduced.

Key words: supramolecular, rotaxane, template-directed strategies