Cyclodextrin Complexation of the Stilbene 4-(2-(4-Tert-butylphenyl)ethen-1-yl)- benzoate and the Self-assembly of Molecular Devices

E-4-(2-(4- tert - butylphenyl) ethen-1- yl)benzoate, E-1^–, photoisomerizes to the Z-1^– isomer and vice versa in the free state and in the binary complexes 2·E-1^–, 2·Z-1^–, 3·E-1^– and 3·Z-1^– where 2 is the urea-linked cyclodextrin N-(6 ^A -deoxy--cyclodextrin-6 ^A - yl)-N-(6 ^A -deoxy--cyclodextrin-6 ^A - yl)urea and 3 is N,N- bis(6 ^A -deoxy--cyclodextrin-6 ^A - yl)urea. In 2·E-1^–and 3·E-1^– the stilbene occupies both cyclodextrin (CD) components of 2 and 3, whereas in 2·Z-1^– and 3·Z-1^– it only occupies one CD component while the other CD component is unoccupied. 4- tert - Butylphenolate, 4^–, and its carboxylate, 5^–, and sulfonate, 6^–, analogues form the ternary complex 2·Z-1^–·4^– and its analogues and also 3·Z-1^–·4^– and its analogues. These photoisomerize to 2·E-1^–and 3·E-1^– and either free 4^–, 57^– or 6^– and thereby function as molecular devices.