Synthesis and Transport Studies of a Cofacial Porphyrin Cyclophane

Porphyrin
cyclophane 1, consisting of two rigidly
fixed but still movable cofacial porphyrins and exposing acetate-masked
thiols in opposed directions of the macrocycle, is designed, synthesized,
and characterized. The functional cyclophane 1, as pioneer
of mechanosensitive 3D materials, forms stable single-molecule junctions
in a mechanically controlled break-junction setup. Its reliable integration
in a single-molecule junction is a fundamental prerequisite to explore
the potential of these structures as mechanically triggered functional
units and devices.