Yanosh Joy Hizkiel

M.Sc III Semester

St. Andrew’s College
Molecular Switches
 Contents
• Introduction

• Characteristics

• Types

• Applications
 Introduction

A molecular switch is a molecular assembly

in which molecular components are
assembled through mechanical bonds (non-
covalent bond).
It can be reversibly brought from one state
into another by means of an external
stimulus.
 Mechanical Motor

An assembly of discrete number of

molecular components designed to perform
mechanical-like movements as a
consequence of appropriate external stimuli.
Characteristics of a mechanical motor :-

*Molecular motors and machines operate via electronic

and/or nuclear arrrangements and make use of thermal
fluctuations. These operations depend on the type of
energy input supplied to make them work.
Ex:- Photochemical & Eletrochemical energy.

*In order to control and monitor the device operation,

the electronic and /or nuclear rearrangements of the
component parts should cause readable changes.
*Natural motors are autonomous, but the majority
of the artificial molecular motors reported so far are
non-autonomous since after the mechanical
movement induced by a given input, they need
another opposite input to reset.

*The operation timescale of molecular machines can

range from microseconds to seconds.
 Types of Molecular Switches
*Acidochromic Molecular Switches :- These type of
switches are associated with change in function of pH.
The most common use of acidochromic molecular
switches is the pH indicator which is a molecule with
acidic/basic properties whose different forms are present
in different colours.
*Photochromic Molecular Switches :-
A widely studied class are photochromic compounds
which are able to switch between electronic
configurations when irradiated by light of specific
wavelength.
Members of this class include azobenzenes,
diarylthenes, fulgides, etc.
*Host-Guest Molecular Switches :-
In host-guest chemistry the bistable states of molecular
switches differ in their affinity for guests. Many early
examples of such systems are based on crown
ether chemistry. The first switchable host is described
in 1978 by Desvergne & Bouas-Laurent who created a
crown ether via
photochemical anthracene dimerization.
*Mechanically Interlocked Molecular Switches :-
Some of the most advanced molecular switches are
based on mechanically-interlocked molecular
architectures where the bistable states differ in the
position of the macrocycle. In 1991 Stoddart devices
a molecular shuttle based on a rotaxane on which a
molecular bead is able to shuttle between two docking
stations situated on a molecular thread. Stoddart
predicts that when the stations are dissimilar with each
of the stations addressed by a different external
stimulus the shuttle becomes a molecular machine.
Photoswitchable catenane (Vogtle 1993)
 Applications

*Currently synthetic molecular switches are of interest

in the field of nanotechnology for application
in molecular computers or responsive drug delivery
systems.

*Molecular switches are also important in biology

because many biological functions are based on it, for
instance undergoing regulation and vision.
Thank You