An ExBox [2] catenane

作者:Juricek Michal; Barnes Jonathan C; Strutt Nathan L; Vermeulen Nicolaas A; Ghooray Kala C; Dale Edward J; McGonigal Paul R; Blackburn Anthea K; Avestro Alyssa Jennifer; Stoddart J Fraser*
来源:Chemical Science, 2014, 5(7): 2724-2731.
DOI:10.1039/c4sc00488d

摘要

A donor-acceptor [2] catenane, in which an extended tetracationic cyclophane is mechanically interlocked by a porphyrin-containing macrocycle, was synthesised using a template-directed protocol and alkene metathesis as the ring-closing step. In the ground state of this [2] catenane, the porphyrin ring resides inside the cavity of the cyclophane on account of favourable charge-transfer interactions between the electron-rich porphyrin and the electron-deficient cyclophane. The [2] catenane can act as a push-button molecular switch where the co-conformations of the [2] catenane can be controlled either chemically or electrochemically. Addition of acid protonates the porphyrin ring and a relative circumrotational motion of the macrocycle positions the charged porphyrin ring outside the cavity of the cyclophane. The switch can be reset to its ground-state co-conformation by the addition of base. Electrochemical reduction of the extended bipyridinium units of the cyclophane decreases the strength of the donor-acceptor interactions in the [2] catenane, leading to a loss of recognition between the mechanically interlocked rings. The chemical and electrochemical switching mechanisms are both reversible.