posted on 2019-01-10, 00:00authored bySamaresh Samanta, Narottam Mukhopadhyay, Debangshu Chaudhuri
The
ability to reversibly alter molecular structures using an electrochemical
stimulus is an area of great contemporary interest, where molecular
design plays a key role in determining the efficiency and speed of
the process. Although the choice of redox active center decides the
threshold potential and energy efficiency of the process, selecting
a backbone structure with a sufficiently low barrier to deformation
ensures a fast response. We present a flexible perylene bisimide dimer
that fulfills these criteria remarkably well and exhibits a rapid
and very large conformational change at a much lower applied voltage
than similar systems. A detailed investigation using cyclic voltammetry,
spectroelectrochemistry, and EPR spectroscopy elucidates the mechanism
of the actuation process.