Jan O. Jeppesen

This PhD project at the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Pharmacy at the University of Southern Denmark explores how electrically controlled molecular motion can be translated into mechanical force and, ultimately, covalent bond cleavage. The research focuses on the design and synthesis of electroactive molecular machines built around [2]rotaxanes that combine a redox-active monopyrrolotetrathiafulvalene (MPTTF) unit with a cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) (CBPQT4+) macrocycle and a furan-based cargo-bearing unit. The core idea is that electrochemical oxidation of the MPTTF component should trigger macrocycle shuttling along the axle, generating enough mechanical force to promote a retro-Diels-Alder reaction and release a covalently attached cargo molecule. The project is designed to establish a direct mechanistic link between redox-driven molecular motion, force generation, and bond cleavage in artificial molecular machines. The successful PhD candidate will carry out extensive synthetic organic chemistry, prepare and characterize mechanically interlocked molecules, and study their electrochemical and mechanical behavior. The work combines synthesis with analysis using NMR spectroscopy , mass spectrometry , UV-vis spectroscopy , and cyclic voltammetry . The position is supervised by Professor Jan O. Jeppesen and is embedded in the interdisciplinary environment of the Faculty of Science in Odense, where chemistry is closely linked with physics and pharmacy. The project aims to advance the fundamental understanding of force transduction in molecular systems and of electrically driven controlled molecular release.