TY - JOUR A1 - Heinrich, Thomas A1 - Traulsen, Christoph Hans-Henning A1 - Holzweber, Markus A1 - Richter, S. A1 - Kunz, V. A1 - Kastner, S.K. A1 - Krabbenborg, S.O. A1 - Huskens, J. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Schalley, C.A. T1 - Coupled molecular switching processes in ordered mono- and multilayers of stimulus-responsive rotaxanes on gold surfaces T2 - Journal of the American Chemical Society : JACS N2 - Interfaces provide the structural basis for function as, for example, encountered in nature in the membrane-embedded photosystem or in technology in solar cells. Synthetic functional multilayers of molecules cooperating in a coupled manner can be fabricated on surfaces through layer-by-layer self-assembly. Ordered arrays of stimulus-responsive rotaxanes undergoing well-controlled axle shuttling are excellent candidates for coupled mechanical motion. Such stimulus-responsive surfaces may help integrate synthetic molecular machines in larger systems exhibiting even macroscopic effects or generating mechanical work from chemical energy through cooperative action. The present work demonstrates the successful deposition of ordered mono- and multilayers of chemically switchable rotaxanes on gold surfaces. Rotaxane mono- and multilayers are shown to reversibly switch in a coupled manner between two ordered states as revealed by linear dichroism effects in angle-resolved NEXAFS spectra. Such a concerted switching process is observed only when the surfaces are well packed, while less densely packed surfaces lacking lateral order do not exhibit such effects. PB - American Chemical Society CY - Washington, DC, USA KW - Molecular machine KW - Rotaxane KW - LBL growth KW - XPS KW - NEXAFS KW - SIMS PY - 2015 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-bam/frontdoor/index/index/docId/33077 AN - OPUS4-33077 SN - 0002-7863 SN - 1520-5126 VL - 137 IS - 13 SP - 4382 EP - 4390 AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany