In bacteriorhodopsin, photochemical all-trans to 13-cis double-bond isomerization of retinal's protonated Schiff base is at the basis of a proton translocation event. Release of protons to the extracellular medium and reprotonation from the cytoplasm creates a concentration gradient, which serves as energy reservoir to produce ATP. Artificial systems thatto some extent imitate such function may provide new perspectives on solar energy conversion, and could shed light on fundamental aspects of biological pumps. Hence, synthetic tools to drive translocation are highly sought after, for example, within the field of molecular machines. Indeed, pseudorotaxane structures in which a macrocyclic ring moves along a nonsymmetric axle in a specific direction have been reported. However, directional translocation of small substrates, including ions, has not been achieved to date, while it would be of particular interest in the context of developing artificial molecular pumps. It is worth to note that pH-and photoswitchable scaffolds have been used for intramolecular transport of small-molecule cargo, albeit without any repetitive, autonomous operation.