title: Rational design and application of a redox-active, photoresponsive, discrete metallogelator.
abstract: A photoresponsive discrete metallogelator was rationally designed by incorporating a photochromic azobenzene subunit in the structure of a redox-active ferrocene-peptide conjugate. The target molecule was purposefully equipped with a dipeptide unit capable of self-assembly in response to sonication. The designed molecule was shown to undergo supramolecular self-assembly and achieve organogelation in response to ultrasound, light, heat, and redox signals. The sol-gel phase transition of the designed gelator was found to be sensitive to a plethora of input stimuli, allowing the application of the sol-gel transition behavior in basic logic gate operations. A gel-based NOT logic gate operation was realized when the redox-active property of the organogel was examined by using different oxidizing agents. The smart response of the gelator was further exploited in designing XOR operations under oxidizing or non-oxidizing conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6 (Canada). rouzbeh.afrasiabi@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Rouzbeh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Afrasiabi
authors.forename: Heinz-Bernhard
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Kraatz
mesh_terms: D001391:Azo Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D004151:Dipeptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D005296:Ferrous Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D008027:Light; D000075163:Metallocenes; D016877:Oxidants / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D044367:Phase Transition; D013010:Sonication
chemical_list: D001391:Azo Compounds; D004151:Dipeptides; D005296:Ferrous Compounds; D005782:Gels; D000075163:Metallocenes; D016877:Oxidants; C009850:azobenzene; C004998:ferrocene
keywords: azo compounds; ferrocene-peptides; gels; peptides; redox chemistry; sonication; stimuli-responsive materials