Construction and Biomedical Applications of Macrocycle-Based Supramolecular Topological Polymers

Abstract

A number of macrocyclic host molecules with cavities such as crown ethers, cyclodextrins, calix[n]arenes, cucurbit[n]urils, and pillar[n]arenes have been exploited to encapsulate the guests for the construction of novel supramolecular systems and great potential applications in various fields such as biomedicine, photoelectricity, and catalysis. On the other aspect, great attentions have been attracted by supramolecular polymers (SPs), which is the intersection of supramolecular chemistry and polymer science. The properties and functions of SPs are strongly affected by their higher-level topological structures. Therefore, macrocycle-based supramolecular topological polymers (STPs) are superior in the complication and hierarchy of structures compared with linear SPs due to more diverse possible combinations between unique topological polymer structures and macrocycle-based supramolecular interactions. In this chapter, we aim to summarize the construction and biomedical applications of macrocycle-based STPs. Especially, we will discuss macrocycle-based STPs with diverse structures and responsive functional characteristics and latest applications in the biomedical applications. We want to clarify the distinct structure property features of macrocycle-based STPs and reveal their promising potential in biomedical applications. We hope this chapter could provide a reference or inspirations for chemists working on macrocycle-based STPs.