Although mechanical interlocking at the molecular level can be achieved through statistical or covalently-directed methods, the most effective and efficient routes to rotaxane architectures invoke supramolecular assistance - the use of attractive noncovalent interactions between the macrocycle and thread (or their precursors) - to preorganise the components prior to interlocking. Hydrogen bonding offers a particularly powerful method for preorganising precursors in such a way that efficient interlocking of the components to form rotaxanes and catenanes can occur in high yields. The restricted degrees of freedom inherent in rotaxane and catenane architectures also make them attractive candidates as components for molecular level devices. This thesis outlines the investigation of the role of hydrogen bonding in the assembly of rotaxane architectures; how it can be used as a directing tool for synthesis and in the control of sub-molecular motion, including (i) controlled translational of the components of two-station rotaxanes and (ii) unidirectional rotation in a catenane system incorporating three different stations. The submolecular movements are mediated using heat and light.