A macrocycle/molecular-clip complex that functions as a quadruply controllable molecular switch

Herein, we report the synthesis of a molecular clip with TTF sidewalls and its binding behavior towards electron-deficient guests, namely the formation of macrocycle/molecular-clip supramolecular complexes in solution. Four different sets of external stimuli-the K+/[2.2.2]cryptand, NH4+/Et3N and (p-BrPh)(3)NSbCl6/Zn pairs, and heating/cooling cycles-control the movement of this molecular switch between its threaded and unthreaded states and provide color changes that are observable by the naked eye. This macrocycle/molecular-clip complex system can be considered not only as a quadruple-use molecular switch, but can also be operated by three of these stimuli as a three-input molecular NOR-functioning logic gate that may be monitored by UV-visible spectroscopy.