(E)-4-tert-Butyl-4'-oxystilbene, 1(-), is thermally stable as the (E)-1(-) isomer but may be photoisomerized to the (Z)-1(-) isomer as shown by UV-vis and (1)H NMR studies in aqueous solution. When (E)-1(-) is complexed by alphaCD two inclusion isomers (includomers) form in which alphaCD assumes either of the two possible orientations about the axis of (E)-1(-) in alphaCD.(E)-1(-) for which (1)H NMR studies yield the parameters: k(1)(298 K)= 12.3 +/- 0.6 s(-1), DeltaH(1)(++)= 94.3 +/- 4.7 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS1(++)= 92.0 +/- 5.0 J K(-1) mol(-1), and k(2)(298 K)= 10.7 +/- 0.5 s(-1), DeltaH(2)(++)= 93.1 +/- 4.7 kJ mol(-1), DeltaS2(++)= 87.3 +/- 5.0 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the minor and major includomers, respectively. The betaCD.(E)-1(-) complex either forms a single includomer or its includomers interchange at the fast exchange limit of the (1)H NMR timescale. Complexation of 1(-) by N-(6(A)-deoxy- alpha-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)-N'-(6(A)-deoxy- beta-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)urea, results in the binary complexes 2.(E)-1(-) in which both CD component annuli are occupied by (E)-1(-) and which exists exclusively in darkness and 2.(Z)-1(-) in which only one CD component is occupied by (Z)-1(-) and exists exclusively in daylight at lambda > or = 300 nm. Irradiation of solutions of the binary complexes at 300 and 355 nm results in photostationary states dominated by 2.(E)-1(-) and 2.(Z)-1(-), respectively. In the presence of 4-methylbenzoate, 4(-), 2.(Z)-1(-) forms the ternary complex 2.(Z)-1(-).4(-) where 4(-) occupies the second CD annulus. Interconversion occurs between 2.(Z)-1(-).4(-) and 2.(E)-1(-)+4(-) under the same conditions as for the binary complexes alone. Similar interactions occur in the presence of 4-methylphenolate and 4-methylphenylsulfonate. The two isomers of each of these systems represent different states of a molecular device, as do the analogous binary complexes of N,N-bis(6(A)-deoxy- beta-cyclodextrin-6(A)-yl)urea, 3, [3.(E)-1(-) and 3.(Z)-1(-), where the latter also forms a ternary complex with 4(-).