Novel supramolecular vesicles based on host-guest systems were coassembled from carboxylate-substituted pillar[6]arene (CPA[6]) and disulfide-linked benzimidazolium amphiphiles, and the microstructures of the CPA-based supramolecular vesicles were clearly elaborated. The supramolecular vesicles showed controlled drug release in response to five stimuli, with glutathione, pH, CO , Zn ions, and hexanediamine, leading to cleavage of the disulfide bonds, protonation of the carboxylate groups, metal chelation, and competitive binding. This is the first case of a smart pillararene-based supramolecular vesicle being integrated with five stimuli-responsive functions to meet the diverse requirements of controlled drug release. Importantly, each of the five stimuli is closely related to microenvironments of tumors and diseases of the human body. The smart stimuli-responsive supramolecular vesicles have promising applications in drug therapy of tumors and relevant diseases.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.