Ferrocene incorporating host–guest dyads with electrochemically controlled three-pole hydrogen bonding properties

We describe the electrochemically controlled hydrogen bonding interactions between the isobutyl flavin/2,6-diferrocenylamidopyridine (·) and 9,10-phenanthrenequinone/1-ferrocenyl-3-hexylurea (·) dyads. Cyclic and square wave voltammetry studies have shown that the binding efficiencies between these moieties can be electrochemically actuated in non-polar (CH2Cl2 for ·) or polar (DMF for ·) organic solvents between three distinct states.