Peptide self-assemblies with multiple nanostructures have great potentials in functional biomaterials, and yet the tedious and costly covalent peptide modification and the lack of facile controllability on self-assembly morphology retard the peptide-related exploration. Here we report a simple approach to fabricate a supramolecular peptide that shows programmable self-assembly with multiple morphologies and application in photodynamic therapy. Pillar[5]arene-based host−guest recognition is used to construct a supramolecular peptide, which simplify the peptide modification and promote the controllability of the self-assembly behavior. Due to the ERGDS sequences on the exterior surfaces and hydrophobic cores of self-assemblies, the nanoparticles formed from the supramolecular peptide are suitable vehicles to encapsulate a photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrate that the inherent targeting capability and supramolecular strategy greatly boost its photodynamic therapeutic efficiency. This supramolecular peptide holds promising potentials in precise cancer therapy and perspectives for the peptide modification.

The contradiction between the rising demands of optical chirality sensing and the failure in chiral detection of cryptochiral compounds encourages researchers to find new methods for chirality amplification. Inspired by planar chirality and the host–guest recognition of pillararenes, we establish a new concept for amplifying CD signals of cryptochiral molecules by pillararene host–guest complexation induced chirality amplification. The planar chirality of pillararenes is induced and stabilized in the presence of the chiral guest, which makes the cryptochiral molecule detectable by CD spectroscopy. Several chiral guests are selected in these experiments and the mechanism of chiral amplification is studied with a non‐rotatable pillararene derivative and density functional theory calculations. We believe this work affords deeper understanding of chirality and provides a new perspective for chiral sensing.

A 3D network polymer,P5-P, for the removal of organic micropollutants from water with high adsorption efficiency has been successfully prepared by crosslinking a carboxyl-derived pillar[5]arene andp-phenylenediamine.

A new approach for the synthesis of infinite Ti–O rod-based MOFs with superior photocatalytic H2 evolution performances was developed.

Chiral metal–organic complexes hold great promise as new functional materials that exhibit unique stereochemical and optical properties. Here, we report the formation of optically pure pillar[5]­arene-based platinum chiral metallacycles. By coordination with 60° and 90° Pt­(II) acceptors, planar chiral platinum triangles were self-assembled efficiently and characterized by multiple spectroscopic techniques. Optical studies indicated that these metallacycles had chiral properties: pS enantiomers showed a negative Cotton effect, and pR enantiomers exhibited a positive Cotton effect. In addition, these metallacycles also exhibited circularly polarized luminescence.

In this review, recent progress in macrocyclic amphiphiles and macrocyclic host-based supra-amphiphiles is discussed.

Selective separation of phenanthrene (PHE) from aromatic isomer mixtures is a big challenge in industry. In this work, a light-responsive water-soluble azobenzene-based macrocycle 1 is synthesized and an aqueous solution of E,E-1 is employed to separate PHE from anthracene via a solid−liquid extraction method under ambient conditions. After five extraction cycles, the average purity for PHE is about 91.1% and macrocycle 1 can be reused at least five times without obvious reduction of separation performance for PHE. This work not only comprises a new and clean way to separate PHE by taking advantage of a macrocyclic host but also promotes the application of host−guest chemistry.

The recent progress in platinum(II) coordination driven supramolecular polymers has had a substantial effect on the design of functional soft materials. However, the prospect of realizing platinum(II) metallacycle-based host-guest interactions induced polymerization has received little attention until recently. Here we report the realization of supramolecular polymerization driven by platinum(II) metallacycle-based host-guest interactions both in the solid state and in solution. On the basis of the disclosed polymerization mechanism, we present a new strategy for the preparation of platinum(II) metallacycle-based supramolecular polymers.