Inspired by the lock and key principle, the development of supramolecular macrocyclic chemistry has promoted the prosperous growth of host-guest chemistry. The updated induced-fit and conformation selection model spurred the emerging research on responsive macrocycles (RMs). This review introduces RMs, covering their design, synthesis and applications. It gives readers insight into the dynamic control of macrocyclic molecules and the exploration of materials with desired functions.

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Molecular self‐assembly has been widely used to develop nanocarriers for drug delivery. However, most of them have unsatisfactory drug loading capacity (DLC) and the dilemma between stimuli‐responsiveness and stability, stagnating their translational process. Herein, we overcame these drawbacks using dynamic combinatorial chemistry. A carrier molecule was spontaneously and quantitatively synthesized, aided by co‐self‐assembly with a template molecule and an anti‐cancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) from a dynamic combinatorial library that was operated by disulfide exchange under thermodynamic control. The highly selective synthesis guaranteed a stable yet pH‐ and redox‐ responsive nanocarrier with a maximized DLC of 40.1 % and an enhanced drug potency to fight DOX resistance in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggested that harnessing the interplay between synthesis and self‐assembly in complex chemical systems could yield functional nanomaterials for advanced applications.

Doping sulfur into TiO2 can narrow the bandgap of the native TiO2, offering an efficient way to improve its photocatalytic efficiency and extend its absorption from the ultraviolet to the...