Linear Supramolecular Polymers based on Pillararenes

Orthogonal self-assembly is also an effective strategy for construction of supramolecular polymers. Orthogonal means that different types of supramolecular interaction do not affect each other. The combination of various noncovalent interactions provides the diversity of the design and construction of supramolecular polymers.  

Reproduced from ref. 66 with permission from The Royal Society of Chemistry. 

Poly(pseudo)rotaxanes are special categories of supramolecular pol3miers, which actually are a string of (pseudo)rotaxanes linked by noncovalent bonds. Wang and co-workers creatively introduced ureidopyrimidinone 

One advantage of the supramolecular polymers constructed by orthogonal assembly is their enhanced responsiveness to multiple external stimuli. Recently, a thermo- and photo-responsive supramolecular polymer based on pillar[5]arene was reported by Yang s group, ° where the anthracene group was used as the photo-responsive unit, and the pillar[5]arene/imidazole binding motif was employed as the thermo-responsive unit. When an anthracene-modified pillararene (7.27) was irradiated with UV light [1 360 nm), the anthracene unit dimerized and the pillar[5]arene dimer 

---