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Chemical Control of Tautomerization‐Based Molecular Electronic and Color Switches
Author(s) -
REIMERS JEFFREY R.,
HALL LACHLAN E.,
HUSH NOEL S.,
SILVERBROOK KIA
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb09863.x
Subject(s) - tautomer , molecule , chemistry , molecular switch , chemical reaction , chemical physics , hydrogen bond , computational chemistry , electronic structure , absorption (acoustics) , chemical energy , hydrogen , combinatorial chemistry , photochemistry , materials science , organic chemistry , composite material
Many schemes which have been suggested for the chemical control of molecular electronic devices are impractical because of the large energy changes associated with bond breaking and reforming: these would result in unacceptably large amounts of energy being required for device operation. We have chosen to look in detail at a class of chemical reactions prominent in biological systems that, on energetic grounds, could produce a feasible device: tautomerization reactions of heterocyclic bases. In particular, we concentrate on a model reaction, the 4‐pyridinol/4(1H)‐pyridinone tautomerization, through which an aromatic pyridinol unit is converted into a π‐localized pyridinone unit. In these molecules the functionalities are arranged para , allowing the possibility that the molecules align in a solid phase in linear hydrogen‐bonded chains. The change in the π electronic structure associated with reactions of this type is quite large, as illustrated, for example, in the conversion of quinacridone, a brightly colored pigment, to quinacridol, an uncolored species with strong UV absorption. Our primary purpose is to calculate energy changes and reaction barrier heights to see whether such tautomerization reactions could provide the basis for an operational chemically controlled molecular electronic device. We also consider, briefly, other required properties in a practicable device.