Mesomorphic [2]rotaxanes: sheltering ionic cores with interlocking components.

Two types of liquid crystalline [2]rotaxanes based on a conventional tetracatenar motif (a rod-shaped molecule with two side chains at each end) have been prepared. Dicationic compounds with ester stoppers and tetracationic materials with pyridinium stoppers are compared to each other and their dumbbell shaped analogs. Since the ionic core contributes about 70% to the overall length and molecular weight of the molecules, sheltering the ionic cores with an interlocked neutral macrocycle has considerable effect on the mesomorphism and thermal stability of the materials. The influence of the sheltering macrocycle, the numbers of charges on the core and the size and nature of the side chains (aliphatic vs siloxane) were probed. [2]Rotaxanes with linear side chains and minimum ratios of chain-to-core volumes of about 0.35 and 0.30 for tetra- and dicationic compounds, respectively, display smectic liquid crystal phases. Larger ratios increase the temperature range of the smectic A phases beyond the decomposition temperatures; a disadvantage for processing because no stable isotropic liquid phase is available. The change from tetra- to dicationic [2]rotaxanes increased not only the fluidity of their smectic A phases but also their thermal and chemical stability. Branched side chains (2-hexyldecyl) disfavor the formation of lamellar mesophases and, instead, induce higher ordered soft crystal phases. No liquid crystal phases but soft crystal phases are observed for the analogous di- and tetracationic compounds without an ion sheltering interlocked macrocycle (dumbbells).

The effect of incorporating Fréchet dendrons into rotaxanes and molecular shuttles containing the 1,2-bis(pyridinium)ethane⊂[24]crown-8 templating motif.

Fréchet-type dendrons (G0-G3) were added as both axle stoppering units and cyclic wheel appendages in a series of [2]rotaxanes, [3]rotaxanes, and molecular shuttles that employ 1,2-bis(pyridinium)ethane axles and 24-membered crown ethers wheels. The addition of dendrimer wedges as stoppering units dramatically increased the solubility of simple [2]rotaxanes in nonpolar solvents. The X-ray structure of a G1-stoppered [2]rotaxane shows how the dendritic units affect the structure of the interlocked components. Increased solubility allows observation of how the interaction of dendritic units on separate components in interlocked molecules influences switching properties and molecular size. In a series of [2]rotaxane molecular shuttles incorporating two recognition sites, it was demonstrated that an increase in generation on either the stoppering unit or cyclic wheel could influence both the rate of shuttling and the site preference of the wheel on the axle.

Colour coding the co-conformations of a [2]rotaxane flip-switch.

Fine-tuning the charge transfer chromophores in a series of [2]rotaxane flip-switches yields a unique optical signal (purple colour) for one of the interactions allowing for facile determination of the position of the flip-switch equilibrium.