Multistate Architectures for Multifunctional Systems – MULTIFUN

During the past thirty years chemists have designed, constructed and investigated a large variety of molecular devices and machines by exploiting photonic, electronic and chemical inputs. Such molecular machines hold great promise for major progress in multiple domains and the field has been recognized by the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016. However, artificial systems are far from achieving the complexity in term of function, integration and collective behavior of natural systems. Developing systems that harness the inherent properties of molecular machines to perform useful functions remains a great challenge. In particular, the development of advanced molecular switches beyond bi-stable systems is necessary to obtain multifunctional devices.

MULTIFUN is a multidisciplinary project aiming to develop switchable multistate architectures to achieve multifunctional systems. We plan to combine the mechanical motion of versatile switchable molecular tweezers with orthogonal stimuli (chemical, electro or even photo-chemical) to go beyond two-level switches and achieve multi-state systems able to control magnetic or catalytic properties. By combining the expertise of the partners, we intend to reach the following goals: (i) Two-state switching of magnetic properties (ii) Two-state switching of catalytic properties (iii) Developing multi-level multifunctional systems combining synergistically magnetism, luminescence, catalytic or redox properties. The project will be tackled through the complementary skills of the two partners in supramolecular chemistry, synthesis, magnetism (Partner 1), redox-active ligands and catalysis (Partner 2). Our work program will be divided into 5 tasks with an emphasis on the synthesis of compounds that can be applied for multiple purposes. We will first focus on two-level mechanical switching of magnetic (task 1), catalytic (task 2) and multifunctional properties (task 3). Then, we will explore multi-level systems by exploiting orthogonal stimuli (task 4) and develop communicating systems reminiscent of biological networked systems (task 5).

In summary, we propose a rather ambitious but realistic multidisciplinary project. Exploiting a mechanical-like motion to achieve multistate switches is innovative and its integration with redox non-innocent complexes for switchable catalysis holds great promises of synergy. This new approach should lead to a step forward in the field of molecular switches and multifunctional systems and offer a large scope for potential applications in multiple fields such as smart materials, molecular magnetism and catalysis.