Dynamic control of circumrotation of a [2]catenane by acid‐base switching
Kelun Shi,
Guohui Jia,
Ying Wu,
Shilong Zhang,
Prof. Jiawen Chen
Affiliations
Kelun Shi
SCNU-UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
Guohui Jia
SCNU-UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
Ying Wu
SCNU-UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
Shilong Zhang
SCNU-UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
Prof. Jiawen Chen
SCNU-UG International Joint Laboratory of Molecular Science and Displays National Center for International Research on Green Optoelectronics Guangzhou 510006 P. R. China
Abstract Dynamic control of the motion in a catenane remains a big challenge as it requires precise design and sophisticated well‐organized structures. This paper reports the design and synthesis of a donor‐acceptor [2]catenane through mechanical interlocking, employing a crown ether featuring two dibenzylammonium salts on its side arms as the host and a cyclobis(paraquat‐p‐phenylene) (CBPQT ⋅ 4PF6) ring as the guest molecule. By addition of external acid or base, the catenane can form self‐complexed or decomplexed compounds to alter the cavity size of the crown ether ring, consequently affecting circumrotation rate of CBPQT ⋅ 4PF6 ring of the catenane. This study offers insights for the design and exploration of artificial molecular machines with intricate cascading responsive mechanisms.
