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Riebe J, Bädorf B, Löffelsender S, Gutierrez Suburu ME, Rivas Aiello MB, Strassert CA, Grimme S, Niemeyer J. Molecular folding governs switchable singlet oxygen photoproduction in porphyrin-decorated bistable rotaxanes. Commun Chem 2024; 7:171. [PMID: 39112693 PMCID: PMC11306352 DOI: 10.1038/s42004-024-01247-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Rotaxanes are mechanically interlocked molecules where a ring (macrocycle) is threaded onto a linear molecule (thread). The position of the macrocycle on different stations on the thread can be controlled in response to external stimuli, making rotaxanes applicable as molecular switches. Here we show that bistable rotaxanes based on the combination of a Zn(II) tetraphenylporphyrin photosensitizer, attached to the macrocycle, and a black-hole-quencher, attached to the thread, are capable of singlet oxygen production which can be switched on/off by the addition of base/acid. However, we found that only a sufficiently long linker between both stations on the thread enabled switchability, and that the direction of switching was inversed with regard to the original design. This unexpected behavior was attributed to intramolecular folding of the rotaxanes, as indicated by extensive theoretical calculations. This evidences the importance to take into account the conformational flexibility of large molecular structures when designing functional switchable systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Riebe
- Faculty of Chemistry (Organic Chemistry) and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany
| | - Benedikt Bädorf
- Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Beringstrasse 4, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sarah Löffelsender
- Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Beringstrasse 4, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Matias E Gutierrez Suburu
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, CeNTech, CiMIC, SoN, Universität Münster, Heisenbergstr. 11, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - María Belén Rivas Aiello
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, CeNTech, CiMIC, SoN, Universität Münster, Heisenbergstr. 11, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Cristian A Strassert
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie, CeNTech, CiMIC, SoN, Universität Münster, Heisenbergstr. 11, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Stefan Grimme
- Mulliken Center for Theoretical Chemistry, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Beringstrasse 4, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
| | - Jochen Niemeyer
- Faculty of Chemistry (Organic Chemistry) and Center for Nanointegration Duisburg-Essen (CENIDE), University of Duisburg-Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45141, Essen, Germany.
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Saura-Sanmartin A. Synthesis of 'Impossible' Rotaxanes. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202304025. [PMID: 38168751 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202304025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2023] [Revised: 12/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
'Impossible' rotaxanes, which are constituted by interlocked components without obvious binding motifs, have attracted the interest of the mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs) community. Within the synthetic efforts reported in the last decades towards the preparation of MIMs, some innovative protocols for accessing 'impossible' rotaxanes have been developed. This short review highlights different selected synthetic examples of 'impossible' rotaxanes, as well as suggests some future directions of this research area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Saura-Sanmartin
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
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