Increasing Dimensionality in Self‐Assembly: Toward Two‐Dimensional Supramolecular Polymers

Abstract

Different approaches to achieve 2D supramolecular polymers, as an alternative to the covalent bottom‐up approaches reported for the preparation of 2D materials, are reviewed. The significance of the operation of weak non‐covalent forces to induce a lateral growth of a number of self‐assembling units is collected. The examples of both thermodynamically and kinetically controlled formation of 2D supramolecular polymers showed in this review demonstrate the utility of this strategy to achieve new 2D materials with biased morphologies (nanosheets, scrolls, porous surfaces) and showing elegant applications like chiral recognition, enantioselective uptake or asymmetric organic transformations. Furthermore, elaborated techniques like seeded or living supramolecular polymerizations have been demonstrated to give rise to complex 2D nanostructures.

Photoresponsive Supramolecular Polymers Capable of Intrachain Folding and Interchain Aggregation

“…The above AFM observations suggest that the decrease in the translational displacement in the rosette stacking inside SP fold results in a loss of curvature, inducing interchain aggregation. Spectroscopic verification of whether the SP fold → SP fibril transition occurs directly without monomer dissociation and reassembly was hampered by gradual precipitation (Figure S10); however, AFM images of the intermediate states could be unequivocal evidence of direct crystallization following unfolding …”