Extended Tripodal Hydrotris(indazol-1-yl)borate Ligands as Ruthenium-Supported Cogwheels for On-Surface Gearing Motions

This paper reports the synthesis of ruthenium-based molecular gear prototypes composed of a brominated or non-brominated pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl ligand as an anchoring unit and a tripodal ligand with aryl-functionalized indazoles as a rotating cogwheel. Single crystal structures of the ruthenium complexes revealed that the appended aryl groups increase the apparent diameter of the cogwheel rendering them larger than the diameter of the anchoring units and consequently making them suitable for intermolecular gearing motions once the complexes will be adsorbed on a surface.

Automated summary

This paper reports the synthesis of ruthenium-based molecular gear prototypes with pentaphenylcyclopentadienyl ligand as an anchoring unit and aryl-functionalized indazoles as a rotating cogwheel. Crystal structures showed that the aryl groups increase the diameter of the cogwheel, making them suitable for intermolecular gearing motions once adsorbed on a surface.