[2]Rotaxanes displaying one‐off photo‐triggerable gelation properties have been synthesized through the “clipping” of photo‐degradable macrocycles around the amide or urea functionalities of organo‐ and hydrogelators. Irradiation with UV‐light cleaved the photo‐labile macrocyclic components from the [2]rotaxanes, resulting in the free gelators being released into solution and, thereafter, forming gels. When the rate of gelation was sufficiently rapid, selective gelation of specific regions of the solution—and, indeed, photo‐patterning of the solution—was possible.
Malonate diesters can thread into the cavity of a di(ethylene glycol)-containing macrocycle under the templating effect of a Na + ion; the corresponding rotaxanes can be synthesized with good efficiency by applying several stoppering reactions. A molecular switch, in which the interlocked macrocycle was moved between two rarely used stations (i.e., malonate and TAA) through the addition of acid/base and the presence/absence of Na + ions, was constructed using this new recognition system.
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