TY - CONF A1 - Heinrich, Thomas A1 - Traulsen, Christoph A1 - Holzweber, Markus A1 - Richter, S. A1 - Kastner, S. K. A1 - Unger, Wolfgang A1 - Schalley, C. A. T1 - Coupled molecular switching processes in ordered mono- and multilayers of stimuli-responsive rotaxanes on gold surfaces 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 stimuli-responsive rotaxanes undergoing well-controlled axle shuttling are excellent candidates for coupled mechanical motion. Such stimuli-responsive surfaces may help integrating 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. For the first time, 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. T2 - SupraChem 2015 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 22.02.2015 KW - NEXAFS KW - Rotaxanes KW - Molecular machines KW - XPS KW - ToF-SIMS KW - AFM PY - 2015 AN - OPUS4-42800 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -