Autonomous shuttling driven by an oscillating reaction: proof of principle in a cucurbit[7]uril-Bodipy pseudorotaxane.

A bipyridinium dication-substituted Bodipy fluorophore, with a terminal carboxylic acid function, provides two alternative stations for cucurbit[7]uril. Changing pH from basic to acidic results in shuttling of the cucurbit[7]uril from one station to another. In addition, this shuttling is accompanied by a change in the emissive properties of the Bodipy dye, which is only observed in the presence of cucurbit[7]uril. More striking, is a demonstration of autonomous shuttling of the pseudorotaxane system in an oscillating pH system.