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While this catalytic system produced 7a in 16±1% yield (SI, Figure
S46), nanorotor ROT-3' furnished almost four-fold the yield. Complex
C3 = [Cu(8)(10)]+ as catalyst afforded 4% (SI, Figure S49) of 7a.
Thus, among the reference systems the two exchanging catalytic sys-
tems (C1/C2 and C1/C3) as well as C1 perform far less than the relat-
ed nanorotors (Figure 4b).
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Due to its chelate character, 7a binds rather strongly to both copper(I)
centers in [Cu2(4)]2+ (log = 8.2±0.2) (SI, Figure S59). Thus a rea-
sonable hypothesis for the increased catalytic efficiency of the nano-
rotors claims that product 7a, when bound to the catalytically active
copper(I) station(s), is exchanged in an intramolecular SN2-type reacti-
on by the rotator head with the displacement being more efficient at
faster rotating speed.
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Figure 5. a) Yield of 7a and initial ratev0(5a+6a) correlate linearly with
the corrected product release of 7a in nanorotors (s. Table 2). b) Ki-
netic traces used for the determination of the initial ratev0(5a+6a).
Convincing proof for reduced product inhibition with increasing speed
was obtained by fully loading all rotors with 7a and measuring the
amount of 7a liberated into solution. As a reference, two equiv of 7a
were uploaded onto the copper(I)-filled stator [Cu2(4)]2+ furnishing
[Cu2(4)(7a)2]2+ (SI, Figure S26). Incidentally, proton h-H of free 7a in
solution is downfield shifted by 0.84 ppm in comparison to that in
[Cu2(4)(7a)2]2+ (Table 2). In the loaded rotors [(ROT-1'–ROT-
3')(7a)2] the single signal for proton h-H of 7a indicates rapid ex-
change of free and bound 7a. We thus expect an increasing downfield
shift of this dynamically averaged 1H NMR signal with higher rotation-
al speed, because the loaded rotors should increasingly liberate 7a into
solution. Indeed, in the series ROT-1'ROT-3' the resonance of pro-
ton h-H shifts from 4.40 to 4.67 ppm (Table 2), thus approaching 4.97
ppm (the shift of free 7a) at higher speed.
In conclusion, simple mixing of four distinct components leads to cata-
lytic machinery equipped with advanced features for suppressing pro-
duct inhibition. Significantly, the nanorotors’ catalytic activity, ex-
pressed by the yield in two click reactions, is linearly correlated with
their rotational frequency and their ability to suppress product inhibi-
tion. Apparently, by nanomechanical motion of the rotator’s arm, the
product formed at the catalytically active metal ion is displaced clearing
the site for the next turn-over.
Analogous to multicomponent enzymes, such as ATP synthase,18 the
catalytic activity depends on the liberation of the product, most likely
by an SN2-type nanomechanical displacement. Among non-biological
catalytic machinery, which rarely show a correlation of machine speed
and catalytic activity,26 such mechanism is without precedent.
Table 2. NMR shift and amount of 7a liberated from rotors.
■ ASSOCIATED CONTENT
Supporting Information
The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS
Publications website at.
Compounds
δ / ppma
4.13
7ab / % 7ac / %
9
[Cu2(4)]2+ + 7a (2 equiv)
ROT-1' + 7a (2 equiv)
ROT-2' + 7a (2 equiv)
ROT-3' + 7a (2 equiv)
7a
4.40
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Synthetic procedures and characterization data, NMR and ESI-MS
spectra, binding constants and catalytic studies (PDF).
4.57
4.67
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■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
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4.97
(100)
Corresponding Author
a NMR shift of proton h-H of 7a. b Amount of 7a liberated from rotor
(at 2.56 mM). c Corrected product release = release (%) of 7a – 9%.
* schmittel@chemie.uni-siegen.de
■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
From the stability constant of [Cu2(4)(7a)]2+ (log = 8.2) and spe-
ciation analysis (SI, Figure S60) it was calculated that only 9% of
[Cu2(4)(7a)]2+ is dissociated (at 2.56 mM). Using the NMR shift of
free 7a and that of 7a in[Cu2(4)(7a)]2+, the liberated amount of 7a was
determined for each rotor from the NMR shift (Table 2, SI: page S36).
As 9% of 7a is liberated without rotation, the product release was cor-
rected accordingly. The plot of the yield of 7a vs corrected product
release of the nanorotors reveals a linear correlation (red line in Figure
5a). Moreover, we have determined the initial rate v0(5a+6a) (SI, page
S55) in presence of all three nanorotors from the kinetic traces (Figure
5b). The initial rate equally correlates in a linear fashion with the cor-
rected product release (blue line in Figure 5a). Thus experimental
evidence convincingly suggests that the improved catalytic activity is
due to reduced product inhibition.
We are grateful to the DFG (Schm 647/19-2 and 20-1) and Universität
Siegen for financial support.
■ REFERENCES
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211.
Due to the proximity effect, the intramolecular displacement of 7a in
the product-loaded nanorotors by the rotator’s head group is entropy
driven and highly effective. Related cases of anchimeric assistance show
an enhancement of the effective local concentration by several orders
of magnitude.25
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