Crown Ether‐Based Supramolecular Polymers: From Synthesis to Self‐Assembly

Abstract

Supramolecular polymers not only possess many advantages of traditional polymers, but also have many unique characteristics. Supramolecular polymers can be constructed by self-assembly of various noncovalent interactions. Host-guest interaction, as one important type of noncovalent interactions, has been widely applied to construct supramolecular polymers. From the perspective of classification of the recognition system motifs, host-guest recognition motifs mainly include crown ether, cyclodextrin, calixarene, cucurbituril, and pillararene-based host-guest recognition pairs. Crown ethers, as the first-generation macrocyclic hosts, have played a very important part in the development of supramolecular chemistry. Due to the easy modification of crown ethers, various crown ether derivatives have been prepared by attaching some functional groups to the edges of crown ethers, which endowed them with some interesting properties and made them ideal candidates for the fabrication of supramolecular polymers. This review gives a review of the preparation of crown ether-based supramolecular polymers (CSPs) and summarizes crown ether-based recognition pairs, organization methods, topological structures, stimuli-responsiveness, and functional characteristics.

Direct thermodynamic characterization of solid-state reactions by isothermal calorimetry

“…67–69 Numerous hybrid receptors with crown ether functionality as the cation-binding site have been reported and the underlying complexation processes have been investigated in solution by a plethora of methods, including calorimetry. 70,71 Most recently, crown-ether derivatives have been exploited in catalysis, 72 drug-delivery systems, 73 supramolecular polymers, 74 ferroelectrics, etc. 75 Moreover, these macrocycles have been applied in crystal engineering as modules rendering complex superstructures.…”

Molecular Insertion: A Master Key to Unlock Smart Photoelectric Responses of Covalent Organic Frameworks

“…The drawback of small size can only accommodate limited number and types of guest molecules. [23][24][25][26][27] Simultaneously, the functional groups can be introduced only in the portals of macrocyclic hosts, leading skeletons of traditional hosts impoverished. [28] These factors impede the acquisition of ideal performance and the further applications of molecular-inserted systems.…”

Supramolecular hyperbranched polymer gels based on pillar[5]arene and their applications in removal of micropollutants from water

“…36,37 Besides, due to their highly branched structures and large free volumes, supramolecular hyperbranched polymers have shown unique advantages in wastewater treatment. [38][39][40] Different noncovalent interactions have been applied to construct supramolecular hyperbranched polymers, including macrocycle-based host-guest interactions, [41][42][43] hydrogen bonding, 27,44,45 metal coordination, 46 π-π stacking, 33,47 and so on. Among them, macrocycle-based hostguest interactions have received great attention because they render high directionality, regulative properties, abundant stimuli-responsiveness to the obtained supramolecular polymer systems.…”