posted on 2020-03-06, 15:05authored byMin Zhang, Guillaume De Bo
Mechanophores (mechanoresponsive
molecules) offer great promises
for the development of smart force-responsive materials. The activity
of a mechanophore can be tuned by altering its structure or
the composition of the actuating polymer. Here we show that a [2]catenane
can act as a mechanical protecting group by diverting tensional forces
away from a mechanically active functional group embedded in one of
its rings. This property emerges from the mobility of the two rings
of the catenane, which are able to rotate along each other until the
tension equalizes over the entirety of the catenated framework. This
approach provides a new way to control the mechanical activity of
a mechanophore.