Motorized Macrocycle: A Photo-responsive Host with Switchable and Stereoselective Guest Recognition.

ABSTRACT: Designing photo-responsive host-guest systems can provide versatile supramolecular tools for constructing smart systems and materials. We designed photo-responsive macrocyclic hosts, modulated by light-driven molecular rotary motors enabling switchable chiral guest recognition. The intramolecular cyclization of the two arms of a first-generation molecular motor with flexible oligoethylene glycol chains of different lengths resulted in crown-ether-like macrocycles with intrinsic motor function. The octaethylene glycol linkage enables the successful unidirectional rotation of molecular motors, simultaneously allowing the 1:1 host-guest interaction with ammonium salt guests. The binding affinity and stereoselectivity of the motorized macrocycle can be reversibly modulated, owing to the multi-state light-driven switching of geometry and helicity of the molecular motors. This approach provides an attractive strategy to construct stimuli-responsive host-guest systems and dynamic materials.

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8361693 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature