Electron transfer from wheel to axle in a rotaxane. A mass spectrometric investigation

Abstract

The synthesis and characterization of a new non-symmetrical [2]rotaxane featuring an anthracene-based wheel and an alkylviologen-based axle are reported. The interlocked nature of the isolated adduct is demonstrated through collision-induced decay experiments that were also extended to related model compounds. The observed electron transfer from the wheel to the axle and the fragmentation patterns are discussed.