In conclusion, we have serendipitously identified and optimized the synthesis of a remarkably stable dinuclear-Cu complex based on a sterically crowded [3]rotaxane architecture. This species appears to be a trapped intermediate of the CuAAC reaction that forms the mechanical bond under active template conditions and represents the first example of these species being characterized, albeit in a very specific context. The steric hindrance provided by the mechanical bond renders the complex essentially inert to conditions normally used to demetallate Cu I complexes, requiring several days to remove one of the Cu I centers with TFA and even longer to remove the other Cu I center with KCN. We were also able to characterize a cyanide adduct in which the anion was bound to the "wrong" (i.e., non-labile) Cu I center, a binding event that could be reversed by a simple aqueous wash. Our results underline the unusual properties of interlocked molecules as ligands, something that has been previously observed but perhaps never so dramatically. Given the importance of metal complexes for a range of applications, from materials science to medicine, the ability to kinetically stabilize metal coordination, even in harsh environments, and access complexes the non-interlocked equivalents of which are not synthetically accessible, as shown here, suggests that interlocked molecules have untapped potential as ligands in a range of areas.