Time-Dependent Pulses of Lithium Ions in Cascaded Signaling and Out-of-Equilibrium (Supra)molecular Logic

Abstract

The present paper adds the time domain to chemical ion translocation and (supra)molecular logic. When the self-sorted system of [Zn(1)]2+ + [Li(2)]+ + 3 (composed of hexacyclen 1, nanoswitch 2, luminophore 3) was treated with 2-cyano-2-phenylpropanoic acid (4) as a chemical fuel, protonation of 1 entailed a cascade translocation of first Zn2+, then Li+, resulting in the system [H(1)]+ + [Zn(2)]2+ + [Li(3)]+ that slowly reversed back to the initial state. The kinetic evolution of the lithium pulses was followed by changes in color and luminescence using the lithium-sensitive probe 3. The utility of fueling in combination with lithium pulses was exemplified among others by generating time-encoded SOS morse signals and implementing the time domain in two distinct AND gates.