jz1c00526_si_001.pdf (763.39 kB)
Download fileOn the Transition from a Biomimetic Molecular Switch to a Rotary Molecular Motor
journal contribution
posted on 15.04.2021, 18:04 authored by Marco Paolino, Tommaso Giovannini, Madushanka Manathunga, Loredana Latterini, Giulia Zampini, Robin Pierron, Jérémie Léonard, Stefania Fusi, Gianluca Giorgi, Germano Giuliani, Andrea Cappelli, Chiara Cappelli, Massimo OlivucciThe
experimental investigation of the unidirectional motion characterizing
the photoisomerization of single-molecule rotary motors requires accessible
lab prototypes featuring an electronic circular dichroism (ECD) signal
that is sensitive to the geometrical and electronic changes occurring
during an ultrafast reactive process. Here we report a combined experimental/computational
study of a candidate obtained via the asymmetrization of a light-driven
biomimetic molecular switch. We show that the achieved motor has an
ECD band that is remarkably sensitive to the isomerization motion,
and it is therefore suitable for time-resolved ECD studies. However,
we also find that, unexpectedly, the synthesized motor isomerizes
on a time scale longer than the subpicosecond time measured for the
achiral parent, a result that points to alternative candidates conserving
a high reaction speed.