Limits of Molecular Dithienylethene Switches Caused by Ferrocenyl Substitution

The intramolecular hydrogen bond as a unit of molecular electronics: Molecular switching controlled by overcrowded intramolecular three-centered hydrogen bond

The equilibrium geometry of the 2,5-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)-vinyl]-1[Formula: see text]-pyrrole calculated at the MP2/6-311[Formula: see text]G([Formula: see text],[Formula: see text]) level of theory evidences the breaking of one of the components in the three-centered intramolecular hydrogen bond due to the steric strain. For this reason, the three-centered intramolecular hydrogen bonding turns out to be asymmetric interaction involving the major and minor components. However, the reversible switching between these components under an external impact is also possible. Two different stable states with unequal geometric and electronic structure are observed in the derivatives of the 2,5-bis-[2-(pyridin-2-yl)-vinyl]-1[Formula: see text]-pyrrole. These molecules represent novel molecular switches operating due to the pendulum-like transition between the nonequivalent two-centered components of the overcrowded three-centered intramolecular hydrogen bond. Implantation of hydrogen bond as a unit of the molecular scale device enhances potential of molecular electronics and could serve as a step towards the construction of artificial biological ensembles.

Why Are Dithienylethene-Linked Biscobaltocenes so Hard to Photoswitch?

Attaching an organometallic unit to a dithienylethene (DTE) molecular switch can allow one to vary its switching and spectroscopic properties, and to create switchable magnetic properties. In this work, two different dithienylethene molecular switches are used as a bridge between two cobalt sandwich units. The only difference between the switching cores is in the size of the cycloalkene ring connecting both thiophene rings. The complexes present different oxidation states for the cobalt atoms, which are demonstrated to determine the switching reaction. The UV/Vis measurements show that while the Co(I) complexes undergo the switching reaction, the Co(II,III) complexes switch poorly. Kohn-Sham density functional theory calculations indicate diabatic ring-closure mechanisms and a large number of excited states hindering the cyclization reaction and favoring the relaxation to the open form of the molecular switch.