Redox-driven switching in pseudorotaxanes

Abstract

Two donor-acceptor thread-like compounds incorporating viologen (V 2+) units and 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene (DNP) stations have been prepared. Their ability to form self-assembled charge-transfer (CT) complexes with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) is evidenced by UV-Vis and NMR spectroscopies, as well as by mass spectrometry. Binding studies show the formation of 1: 1 and 2: 1 complexes between CB[8] and a thread-like compound containing two viologen units, while only a 1: 1 inclusion complex was observed between CB[8] and a thread-like compound containing only a single viologen unit. The switching behavior of the threads within their pseudorotaxane frameworks was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. © The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.