Superamphiphiles as building blocks for supramolecular engineering: towards functional materials and surfaces

Abstract

Superamphiphiles refer to amphiphiles that are constructed on the basis of noncovalent interactions or dynamic covalent bonds. Superamphiphiles are a new kind of building block for well-defined nanostructured soft materials. This article summarizes different ways to fabricate superamphiphiles, including low-molecular-weight and polymeric superamphiphiles. In addition, the noncovalent nature of superamphiphiles facilitates the incorporation of functional groups, thus opening a new avenue for supramolecular engineering of functional soft materials.