Guest control of a hydrogen bond-catalysed molecular rotor.

Herein, the control of a molecular rotor using hydrogen bonding guests is demonstrated. With a properly positioned phenol substituent, the N-arylimide rotors can form an intramolecular hydrogen bond that catalyses the rotational isomerization process. The addition of the guests disrupts the hydrogen bond and raises the rotational barrier, slowing the rotation by two orders of magnitude.

Covalent locking and unlocking of an atropisomeric molecular switch.

Demonstrated is the reversible switching and saving of a conformational molecular switch via heating in different environments followed by reversible chemical entrapment.

A high-barrier molecular balance for studying face-to-face arene-arene interactions in the solid state and in solution.

An atropisomeric molecular balance was developed to study face-to-face arene-arene interactions. The balance has a large central 1,4,5,8-naphthalene diimide surface that forms intramolecular arene-arene interactions with two pendent arms. The balance adopts distinct syn and anti isomers with varying numbers of intramolecular interactions.