Selective Positioning of CB 8 on Two Linked Viologens and Electrochemically Driven Movement of the Host Molecule

• Published in: European journal of organic chemistry 2009 (8), p.1163
• Main Authors: Andersson, Samir, Zou, Dapeng, Zhang, Rong, Sun, Shiguo, Åkermark, Björn, Sun, Licheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1099-0690; 1434-193X
• DOI: 10.1002/ejoc.200801012

The binding interactions between cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and a dicationic guest N,N-dimethyl-3,3'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (DMV2+) have been investigated by various experimental techniques including NMR, ESI-MS, and UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy. In a three-component system consisting of CB[81, N,N-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium (MV2+) and DMV2+, CB[8] was found to exhibit a higher binding affinity to DMV2+ than to MV2+, When DMV2+ was connected to MV2+ by an alkyl chain, the first equiv. of CB[8] could be selectively positioned on the DMV2+ moiety, and then a second equiv. of CB[8] was positioned on the MV2+ moiety. Spectroelectrochemical studies showed that upon the reduction of this system at -0.6 V vs. AgCl, the CB[8] could move from the DMV2+ moiety to the MV+center dot radical, which formed a dimer inside the CB[8] cavity. Molecular oxygen quenched the dimer, and the CB[8] moved back to the DMV2+ moiety, indicating it molecular movement driven by electrochemistry. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)