Supramolecular coassembly: monomer pair design, morphology regulation and functional application

Abstract

Supramolecular self-assembly of molecules into highly ordered architectures is attractive for developing various advanced functional materials. Compared to the assemblies of one single building block, supramolecular coassembly (SCA) of multiple component systems has recently emerged as a promising approach for generating highly functional and complex structures. The assembly and integration of multiple building blocks at the molecular level are of paramount importance for constructing SCA systems with sophisticated architectures and diverse functions. This feature article highlights the recent advances and future trends in SCAs, ranging from their synthetic strategies, morphological control, to functional applications. The monomer pairs used to synthesize SCAs are rationalized into two classes including structural monomer pairs and functional monomer pairs. The assembly behaviors are then discussed according to the dimensionality of the coassembled morphologies from zero to three dimensions. Finally, the emergent functions and applications of SCAs are highlighted such as adsorption, catalysis, optoelectronics, and biomedicines.