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Updated: Jul 10, 2025

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
New opportunities for cyclodextrins in supramolecular assembly: metal organic frameworks, crystalline self-assembly,
Ting Gu1, Jianbin Huang1, Yun Yan1
1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), State Key Laboratory for Structural Chemistry of Unstable and Stable Species, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, P. R. China. yunyan@pku.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Cyclodextrins (CDs) are widely used macrocycles in supramolecular assembly due to their easy availability, versatile functionality and excellent biocompatibility. Although they are well-known for forming host-guest complexes with a wide range of guests and this host-guest chemistry has long been utilized in industry and academia, new opportunities have arisen in recent years, particularly in supramolecular assembly. In the present review, we will first provide a basic introduction to CDs and then summarize their emerging roles in the fields of supramolecular chemistry and materials. This includes their involvement in hybrid frameworks with inorganic components such as metal ions and polyoxometalates, crystalline self-assembly with amphiphilic molecules, and their new possibility of "catassembly" and induced chiral supramolecular structures that have previously been overlooked. Finally, we will comment on the future perspectives of CDs to inspire more ideas and efforts, with the aim of promoting diverse applications of CDs in supramolecular materials.
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