pH-Controlled Gliding Motions in Pillar[5]arene-Containing Molecular Shuttles.

Becharguia, N., Nierengarten, I., Sournia-Saquet, A., Wasielewski, E., Abidi, R., Delavaux-Nicot, B. and Nierengarten, J.-F.
ChemistryEurope. 2025, 3: e202400115.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ceur.202400115

Researchers from “Laboratoire de chimie de coordination (LCC Toulouse)” and “Laboratoire de chimie des matériaux moléculaires (UNISTRA Strasbourg)” have designed molecular shuttles and are able to control their movement. These molecular machines use a ring-shaped molecule, called pillar[5]arene, which can glide along an axis made up of two distinct stations.

What makes these shuttles unique is that they respond to their environment:

• In an acidic environment (low pH), the ring can freely glide along the entire length of the rail.
• In a neutral environment, its movement is restricted to just one of the two stations.

The ring can also be locked onto a specific part of the axis by modifying the molecule with an electrical current (oxidation).
This system demonstrates that it is possible to precisely control the motion of molecular components, opening new possibilities in nanotechnology and smart materials.

Contact:
Béatrice Delavaux-Nicot beatrice.delavaux-nicot@lcc-toulouse.fr
Jean-François Nierengarten nierengarten@unistra.fr
Iwona Nierengarten iosinska@unistra.fr