Fuel Acid Drives Base Catalysis and Supramolecular Cage-to-Device Transformation under Dissipative Conditions

In State-I, a mixture comprising a DABCO-bridged tris(zinc-porphyrin) double decker and a free biped (=slider), catalysis was OFF. Acid addition (TFA or Di-Stefano fuel acid) to State-I liberated DABCO-H+ while generating a highly dynamic slider-on-deck device (State-II). The released DABCO-H+ acted as a base organocatalyst for a Knoevenagel reaction (catalysis ON). The system was reversed to State-I (catalysis OFF) by reducing the acidity in the system (by adding DBU or via the fuel-derived base).

Automated summary

In this study, the catalytic activity was turned on or off by releasing DABCO-H+ in State-I and generating a highly dynamic State-II, through changing the acidity in the system.