A pH-driven ring translocation switch against cancer cells

Abstract

A molecular switch built with cucurbit[7]uril and a 3-station viologen-phenylene-imidazole compound exhibited pH actuated ring translocation with high fatigue resistance (up to 10² cycles). The switch movement was harnessed toward selectively masking the toxicity of the viologen fragment at neutral pH near non-cancerous cells, while exposing it at acid pH near cancer cells.