Structural Diversification of Pillar[n]arene Macrocycles

Abstract

Despite the fact that pillar[n]arenes receive major interest as building blocks for supramolecular chemistry and advanced materials, their functionalization is generally limited to the modification of the hydroxy or alkoxy units present on the rims. This limited structural freedom restricts further developments and has very recently been overcome. In this article, we highlight three very recent studies demonstrating further structural diversification of pillar[n]arenes by partial removal of the alkoxy substituents on the rims, which can be considered as the next generation of pillar[n]arenes.

Keywords: pillar[n]arene; sensors; separation of isomers; structural diversification; supramolecular chemistry.