Molecular Actuator: Redox-Controlled Clam-Like Motion in a Bichromophoric Electron Donor

The one-electron oxidation of tetramethoxydibenzobicyclo[4.4.1]undecane (4) prompts it to undergo a clam-like electromechanical actuation into a cofacially π-stacked conformer as established by (i) electrochemical analysis, (ii) by the observation of the intense charge-resonance transition in the near IR region in its cation radical spectrum, and (iii) by X-ray crystallographic characterization of the isolated cation radical salt (4+• SbCl6−).

四甲氧基二苯并双环[4.4.1]十一烷（4）的单电子氧化可诱导其发生类蚌式机电致动，转变为共面π堆叠构象。该结论通过以下三方面实验得以验证：(i) 电化学分析；(ii) 其阳离子自由基（cation radical）光谱在近红外区域观测到强电荷共振跃迁；(iii) 对分离得到的阳离子自由基盐(4+• SbCl6−)开展X射线晶体学表征。