oc5b00279_si_002.avi (7.35 MB)
Fuel-Controlled Reassembly of Metal–Organic Architectures
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posted on 2015-12-09, 07:01 authored by Christopher
S. Wood, Colm Browne, Daniel M. Wood, Jonathan R. NitschkeMany examples exist of biological
self-assembled structures that
restructure in response to external stimuli, then return to their
previous state over a defined time scale, but most synthetic investigations
so far have focused on systems that switch between states representing
energetic minima upon stimulus application. Here we report an approach
in which triphenylphosphine is used as a chemical fuel to maintain
CuI-based self-assembled metallosupramolecular architectures
for defined periods of time. This method was used to exert control
over the threading and dethreading of the ring of a pseudorotaxane’s
axle, as well as to direct the uptake and release of a guest from
a metal–organic host. Management of the amount of fuel and
catalyst added allowed for time-dependent regulation of product concentration.