Construction and Degradation of Polyrotaxane Multilayers

Polyrotaxanes consisting of alpha-cyclodextrin and poly(ethylene glycol) are versatile building blocks for the construction and controlled degradation of multilayers. Degradation is based on unlocking the alpha-cyclodextrins by disulfide cleavage of the polyrotaxane capping groups. This disrupts the multivalent intermolecular interactions between the layers, leading to degradation.