Future of Supramolecular Copolymers Unveiled by Reflecting on Covalent Copolymerization

Abstract

with homopolymerization or blending. Considering supramolecular copolymers in this framework, we can dream of the advancements achievable through mastering dynamic multicomponent structures. Their properties are particularly well suited for managing complexity through adaptability. For biological applications, the prospect of including multiple units, such as sensors, bioactive molecules, and catalysts, in a defined order in noncovalent systems would be a breakthrough for synthetic biosystems that require cooperative feedback between multiple systems. 124,125,114 The same effects can be exploited in organic electronics where tuning the arrangements of dynamic copolymers would optimize the optoelectronic properties of, for example, photoelectronic switches, sensors and chiral devices. 126−128 This Perspective is meant to initiate a cooperative effort to advance this new and promising field. Despite the great progress achieved in the last years, much more must come. We believe that the field of supramolecular copolymerization needs comprehensive growth spanning strategic molecular design to the exploitation of theoretical models to the development of powerful characterization techniques. Achievable through collaboration and standardized analytical routines, these efforts will bring supramolecular copolymers to be essential in cutting edge technology markets.

One-shot preparation of topologically chimeric nanofibers via a gradient supramolecular copolymerization

“…Particularly in nanostructures with one-dimensional (1D) topologies, which can be prepared by the supramolecular polymerization of small molecules [7][8][9] , such segregated supramolecular domains may exhibit intricate functions, such as domain-specific molecular recognition and conformational change. However, methods for the facile preparation of such programmed 1D topologies from a mixture of different molecules through spontaneous self-assembly remain challenging 10 . Although the segregated organization of molecular components into two-dimensional (2D) and threedimensional (3D) nanostructures can be guided by differences in the molecular surface energy and interactions with substrates ( Fig.…”

Helical supramolecular polymers with rationally designed binding sites for chiral guest recognition

“…Stereoselective supramolecular copolymerization of two kinds of monomers. Having obtained a family of supramolecular polymers with known helical handedness at hand, we then investigated the copolymerizability between different monomers 42 . Here, we fixed 1…”

Small Molecules Organic Co‐Assemblies as Functional Nanomaterials

“…Non‐peptide co‐assemblies have been examined up to now in a different way, following the classification by Meijer et al, who described them mostly as polymers giving five different groups of co‐assemblies . In such a way, they described that the formation of the structures requires the generation of a nucleus to initiate the cooperative formation of the supramolecular copolymer.…”