Three-state switching in a double-pole change-over nanoswitch controlled by redox-dependent self-sorting?

Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry Pub Date: 2019-08-13 DOI: 10.1039/C9OB01456J

Abstract

The four-arm nanomechanical switch 1 with four different terminals exhibits two switching arms (contacts A and D) and two distinct stations for binding (contacts B and C). In switching State I, the azaterpyridine arm is intramolecularly coordinated to a zinc(II) porphyrin station (connection A ? B) while contact D (a ferrocenylbipyridine unit) and contact C (phenanthroline) remain disconnected. After addition of copper(I) ions (State II) both connections A ? B and C ? D are established. Upon one-electron oxidation, double-pole change-over switching cleaves both connections A ? B & C ? D and establishes the new connection A ? C (State III). Fully reversible three-state switching (State I → State II → State III → State II → State I) was achieved by adding appropriate chemical and redox stimuli.

Graphical abstract: Three-state switching in a double-pole change-over nanoswitch controlled by redox-dependent self-sorting
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