Dynamic Macromolecular Material Design-The Versatility of Cyclodextrin-Based Host-Guest Chemistry

Abstract

Dynamic and adaptive materials are powerful constructs in macromolecular and polymer chemistry with a wide array of applications in drug delivery, bioactive systems, and self-healing materials. Very often, dynamic materials are based on carefully tailored cyclodextrin host-guest interactions. The precise incorporation of these host and guest moieties into macromolecular building blocks allows the formation of complex macromolecular structures with predefined functions. Thus, dynamic materials with extraordinary adaptive property profiles-responsive to thermal, chemical, and photonic fields-become accessible. This Review explores the hierarchical formation of dynamic materials and complex macromolecular structures from the molecular via the macromolecular to the colloidal and macroscopic level, with a specific emphasis on the functionality and responsiveness of the assemblies, specifically in biological contexts.

Keywords: bioactive materials; cyclodextrins; polymers; responsive soft matter; supramolecular chemistry.