Coulombic interactions and crystal packing effects in the folding of donor-acceptor oligorotaxanes

Ignacio Franco*, Mark A. Ratner, George C. Schatz

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The folding of a series of donor-acceptor oligorotaxanes is studied by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The oligorotaxanes consist of tetracationic cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) rings threaded onto oligomers of 1,5-dioxynaphthalene linked by polyethers. Minimum energy structures are isolated using simulated annealing from which insights into the interactions responsible for the folding are extracted. The folding in vacuum is primarily driven by Coulombic interactions between the ionic species. In turn, in a high dielectric medium, the folding is the result of a series of conflicting interactions primarily orchestrated by the rings. In both cases, folded globular structures result. The observed secondary structures extend a previously proposed pleated π-stacked model for the folding that has been, in fact, observed in crystal samples of a [3]Rotaxane, the smallest of the oligorotaxanes considered. Simulations using two different force fields in the crystal environment, in vacuum, and in explicit solvent indicate that the π-stacked conformation adopted by the [3]Rotaxane is stable due to crystal packing effects rather than intracomplex interactions. The π-stacked conformation is also shown to be thermodynamically improbable in longer oligomers.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2477-2484
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Physical Chemistry B
Volume115
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 24 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Materials Chemistry
  • Surfaces, Coatings and Films
  • Physical and Theoretical Chemistry

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