Deposition of Ordered Layers of Tetralactam Macrocycles and Ether Rotaxanes on Pyridine-Terminated Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold

2,3-Dibutoxynaphthalene-based tetralactam macrocycles for recognizing precious metal chloride complexes

Two new tetralactam macrocycles with 2,3-dibutoxynaphthalene groups as sidewalls have been synthesized and characterized. The macrocycle containing isophthalamide bridges can bind square-planar chloride coordination complexes of gold(III), platinum(II), and palladium(II) in CDCl3, while the macrocycle with 2,6-pyridine dicarboxamide bridging units cannot. This may be due to the shrunken cavity caused by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the latter tetralactam macrocycle. The binding of the isophthalamide-based macrocycle is mainly driven by hydrogen bonds and electrostatic interactions. This naphthalene-based macrocycle has similar binding affinities to all the three abovementioned precious metal chloride complexes. This is in contrast to the fact that the tetralactam macrocycle with anthracene as the sidewalls only show good binding affinities to AuCl4 -. The superior binding to all three complexes may be due to the conformational diversity of the naphthalene-based macrocycle, which make it conformationally adaptive to maximize the binding affinities. In addition, the macrocycle shows fluorescent quenching when adding the chloride metal complexes in its solution and may be used as a fluorescent sensor for the detection of these coordination complexes.

Properties and emerging applications of mechanically interlocked ligands

Mechanically interlocked molecules have a long and rich history as ligands thanks to the key role coordination chemistry has played in the development of high yielding passive template syntheses of rotaxanes and catenanes. In this Feature Article, we highlight the effect of the mechanical bond on the properties of metal ions bound within the sterically hindered environment of the macrocycle cavity, and discuss the emerging applications of interlocked ligands in catalysis, sensing and supramolecular materials.

Photocontrolled On-Surface Pseudorotaxane Formation with Well-Ordered Macrocycle Multilayers

The photoinduced pseudorotaxane formation between a photoresponsive axle and a tetralactam macrocycle was investigated in solution and on glass surfaces with immobilized multilayers of macrocycles. In the course of this reaction, a novel photoswitchable binding station with azobenzene as the photoswitchable unit and diketopiperazine as the binding station was synthesized and studied by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy. Glass surfaces have been functionalized with pyridine-terminated SAMs and subsequently with multilayers of macrocycles through layer-by-layer self assembly. A preferred orientation of the macrocycles could be confirmed by NEXAFS spectroscopy. The photocontrolled deposition of the axle into the surface-bound macrocycle-multilayers was monitored by UV/Vis spectroscopy and led to an increase of the molecular order, as indicated by more substantial linear dichroism effects in angle-resolved NEXAFS spectra.

A photoswitchable rotaxane operating in monolayers on solid support

A novel photoswitchable rotaxane was synthesised and its switching behaviour in solution and on solid support was studied.

Influence of steric hindrance on the molecular packing and the anchoring of quinonoid zwitterions on gold surfaces

The N-substituent on quinonoid zwitterions influences the molecules packing and impacts their anchoring on gold surfaces.

Coupled molecular switching processes in ordered mono- and multilayers of stimulus-responsive rotaxanes on gold surfaces

Interfaces provide the structural basis for function as, for example, encountered in nature in the membrane-embedded photosystem or in technology in solar cells. Synthetic functional multilayers of molecules cooperating in a coupled manner can be fabricated on surfaces through layer-by-layer self-assembly. Ordered arrays of stimulus-responsive rotaxanes undergoing well-controlled axle shuttling are excellent candidates for coupled mechanical motion. Such stimulus-responsive surfaces may help integrate synthetic molecular machines in larger systems exhibiting even macroscopic effects or generating mechanical work from chemical energy through cooperative action. The present work demonstrates the successful deposition of ordered mono- and multilayers of chemically switchable rotaxanes on gold surfaces. Rotaxane mono- and multilayers are shown to reversibly switch in a coupled manner between two ordered states as revealed by linear dichroism effects in angle-resolved NEXAFS spectra. Such a concerted switching process is observed only when the surfaces are well packed, while less densely packed surfaces lacking lateral order do not exhibit such effects.

Rotaxane and catenane host structures for sensing charged guest species

CONSPECTUS: The promise of mechanically interlocked architectures, such as rotaxanes and catenanes, as prototypical molecular switches and shuttles for nanotechnological applications, has stimulated an ever increasing interest in their synthesis and function. The elaborate host cavities of interlocked structures, however, can also offer a novel approach toward molecular recognition: this Account describes the use of rotaxane and catenane host systems for binding charged guest species, and for providing sensing capability through an integrated optical or electrochemical reporter group. Particular attention is drawn to the exploitation of the unusual dynamic properties of interlocked molecules, such as guest-induced shuttling or conformational switching, as a sophisticated means of achieving a selective and functional sensor response. We initially survey interlocked host systems capable of sensing cationic guests, before focusing on our accomplishments in synthesizing rotaxanes and catenanes designed for the more challenging task of selective anion sensing. In our group, we have developed the use of discrete anionic templation to prepare mechanically interlocked structures for anion recognition applications. Removal of the anion template reveals an interlocked host system, possessing a unique three-dimensional geometrically restrained binding cavity formed between the interlocked components, which exhibits impressive selectivity toward complementary anionic guest species. By incorporating reporter groups within such systems, we have developed both electrochemical and optical anion sensors which can achieve highly selective sensing of anionic guests. Transition metals, lanthanides, and organic fluorophores integrated within the mechanically bonded structural framework of the receptor are perturbed by the binding of the guest, with a concomitant change in the emission profile. We have also exploited the unique dynamics of interlocked hosts by demonstrating that an anion-induced conformational change can be used as a means of signal transduction. Electrochemical sensing has been realized by integration of the redox-active ferrocene functionality within a range of rotaxane and catenanes; binding of an anion perturbs the metallocene, leading to a cathodic shift in the ferrocene/ferrocenium redox couple. In order to obtain practical sensors for target charged guest species, confinement of receptors at a surface is necessary in order to develop robust, reuseable devices. Surface confinement also offers advantages over solution based receptors, including amplification of signal, enhanced guest binding thermodynamics and the negation of solubility problems. We have fabricated anion-templated rotaxanes and catenanes on gold electrode surfaces and demonstrated that the resulting mechanically bonded self-assembled monolayers are electrochemically responsive to the binding of anions, a crucial first step toward the advancement of sophisticated, highly selective, anion sensory devices. Rotaxane and catenane host molecules may be engineered to offer a superior level of molecular recognition, and the incorporation of optical or electrochemical reporter groups within these interlocked frameworks can allow for guest sensing. Advances in synthetic templation strategies has facilitated the synthesis of interlocked architectures and widened their interest as prototype molecular machines. However, their unique host-guest properties are only now beginning to be exploited as a sophisticated approach to chemical sensing. The development of functional host-guest sensory systems such as these is of great interest to the interdisciplinary field of supramolecular chemistry.

Principal component analysis (PCA)-assisted time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS): a versatile method for the investigation of self-assembled monolayers and multilayers as precursors for the bottom-up approach of nanoscaled devices

The production of high-quality self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) followed by layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembly of macrocycles is essential for nanotechnology applications based on functional surface films. To help interpret the large amount of data generated by a standard ToF-SIMS measurement, principal component analysis (PCA) was used. For two examples, the advantages of a combination of ToF-SIMS and PCA for quality control and for the optimization of layer-by-layer self-assembly are shown. The first example investigates how different cleaning methods influence the quality of SAM template formation. The second example focuses on the LbL self-assembly of macrocycles and the corresponding stepwise surface modification.

Catalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid via copper–polypyridyl complex immobilized on glass

A monolayer of redox-active copper–polypyridyl complexes on glass support was utilized for catalytic oxidation of ascorbic acid showing high performance.

Active-template synthesis of “click” [2]rotaxane ligands: self-assembly of mechanically interlocked metallo-supramolecular dimers, macrocycles and oligomers

A "click" active-metal-template strategy has been exploited to develop mono- and bi-2,2′,6′,2″-terpyridine functionalised [2]rotaxanes. When reacted with Fe(ii) ions these rotaxanes formed metallo-bis-([2]rotaxanes), macrocycles and oligomers.

Synthesis and coordinative layer-by-layer deposition of pyridine-functionalized gold nanoparticles and tetralactam macrocycles on silicon substrates

Coordination chemistry was applied to deposit pyridine-functionalized gold nanoparticles on silicon substrates. The particles were synthesized through the Brust/Schiffrin route with a subsequent ligand exchange reaction yielding well-defined particles of two different sizes. Multilayer deposition was carried out on a pyridine-terminated SAM, anchored on a hydroxyl-terminated silicon surface. Analogously, Hunter/Vögtle-type tetralactam macrocycle multilayers were deposited as well as mixed layers containing both either in an alternating sequence or as a macrocycle multilayer with a terminating nanoparticle layer. These composite layers were examined with respect to their ability to bind squaraine axles in the macrocycle cavities. The amount of guest bound is higher for the composite layer with alternating macrocycles and nanoparticles.

Anion sensing by solution- and surface-assembled osmium(II) bipyridyl rotaxanes

We report the preparation of [2]rotaxanes containing an electrochemically and optically active osmium(II) bipyridyl macrocyclic component mechanically bonded with cationic pyridinium axles. Such interlocked host systems are demonstrated to recognise and sense anionic guest species as shown by (1)H NMR, luminescence and electrochemical studies. The rotaxanes can be surface assembled on to gold electrodes through anion templation under click copper(I)-catalysed Huisgen cycloaddition conditions to form rotaxane molecular films, which, after template removal, respond electrochemically and selectively to chloride.

Three protocols for the formation of a [3]pseudorotaxane via orthogonal cryptand-based host-guest recognition and coordination-driven self-assembly

A novel bis(m-phenylene)-32-crown-10-based cryptand 1 with a pyridine nitrogen atom outside on the third arm was designed and synthesized. Subsequently, host-guest complexation between cryptand 1 and a selection of bipyridinium guests has been studied. More interestingly, the [3]pseudorotaxane 2 is a superset of 5(2) was obtained in three methods by utilizing the noninterfering orthogonal nature of coordination-driven self-assembly and host-guest interactions.