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Self-assembly is a powerful means of preparing structurally intricate nanomaterials. However, the challenge of forming large, ring-shaped nanomolecules this way is entropically steep. By using a flow reactor system, Miras et al. observed how molybdenum oxide rings (3.5 nm in diameter) form with the help of temporary template molecules. These transient templates form, help assemble the ring-shaped molecules around them, and then leave once the wheel is fully formed and reduced to its final electronic state. This animation shows a model of the templating process.