The family of [7]rotaxanes is based on hybrid inorganic-organic [2]rotaxanes, where the ring of the rotaxane is an inorganic heterometallic octagon, [Cr7NiF8(O2C t Bu)16] -, and the thread is an organic molecule with a central ammonium cation about which the inorganic ring is grown, and which is terminated at one end by a pyridine group (Figure ). The threads used in this work are given in Figure . These [2]rotaxanes can then act as ligands for further metal cages, allowing us to develop families of compounds straightforwardly. For this paper we label the [2]rotaxanes as 1X, where X = the identity of the thread. The general formulae are then [X@Cr7NiF8(O2C t Bu)16]. At the end of thread A the binding group is a 3-pyridyl while in threads B, C and D the binding group is a 4-pyridyl (Figure ). B also differs in having a fully saturated chain between the pyridyl and the ammonium centre about which the {Cr7Ni} ring grows.