Electrochemically induced molecular motions in pseudorotaxanes: A case of dual-mode (oxidative and reductive) dethreading

Abstract

The electrochemical and spectroscopic properties of a pseudorotaxane formed in acetonitrile solution by self-assembly of a wire-type electron donor based on the tetrathiafulvalene unit and the cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) tetracationic electron acceptor have been investigated. We show that a) reversible dethreading/rethreading cycles of the pseudorotaxane can be performed by either oxidation and successive reduction of the electron-donor wire or reduction and successive oxidation of the electron-accepting tetracationic cyclophane, and b) because of this special behavior, the input (electrochemical)/output (absorption spectrum) characteristics of this molecular-level system correspond to those of an XNOR logic gate.