Dynamic materials fabricated from water soluble pillar[n]arenes bearing triethylene oxide groups

Pillar[n]arenes are a new kind of supramolecular macrocyclic hosts which have developed rapidly due to their unique topology and high functionality, giving rise to many applications in the construction of interesting and functional materials. Among them, water-soluble pillar[n]arenes bearing triethylene oxide (TEO) chains have drawn increasing research interest due to their advantageous properties. In this review, we summarized the recent progress of dynamic materials fabricated from water soluble pillar[n] arenes bearing TEO groups, including thermoresponsive materials with lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior, cyclic host liquids, and smart windows. It is anticipated that more and more 'smart' supramolecular materials based on modified pillar[n]arenes will be developed in this burgeoning area of research. (C) 2018 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.