Relative contractile motion of the rings in a switchable palindromic [3]rotaxane in aqueous solution driven by radical-pairing interactions

• Main Authors: Witus, Leah S. (Author), Hartlieb, Karel J. (Author), Wang, Yuping (Author), Prokofjevs, Aleksandrs (Author), Frasconi, Marco (Author), Dale, Edward J. (Author), Fahrenbach, Albert C. (Author), Stoddart, J. Fraser (Author), Barnes, Jonathan (Contributor)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Chemistry (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Royal Society of Chemistry, 2015-06-26T13:13:16Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

Artificial muscles are an essential component for the development of next-generation prosthetic devices, minimally invasive surgical tools, and robotics. This communication describes the design, synthesis, and characterisation of a mechanically interlocked molecule (MIM), capable of switchable and reversible linear molecular motion in aqueous solution that mimics muscular contraction and extension. Compatibility with aqueous solution was achieved in the doubly bistable palindromic [3]rotaxane design by using radical-based molecular recognition as the driving force to induce switching.
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (U.S.) (Award F32GM105403)
American Society for Engineering Education. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship