Directed synthesis of symmetric and dissymmetric molecular motors built around a ruthenium cyclopentadienyl tris(indazolyl)borate complex

This article focuses on the synthesis of a family of rotary molecular motors based on a penta-substituted cyclopentadienyl tris(indazolyl)borate ruthenium(II) complex. In order to demonstrate a movement of rotation in this family of molecular motors, dissymmetric derivatives with one ferrocene missing have also been synthesized. The molecules have been prepared with ester and thioether-functionalized tris(indazolyl)borate ligands in view of studying them as single molecules on various surfaces by STM or AFM techniques.