Towards Precision and Adaptive Supramolecular Materials

Abstract

The advances in supramolecular chemistry, which deals with non-covalent interactions between the molecules, have ignited the field of supramolecular materials exhibiting a highly dynamic, adaptive and reversible stimuli responsive behavior. Due to these structural properties, supramolecular materials have realized their applications in a wide and varied area of research such as in mechanical, biological and opto-electronic materials challenging the conventional covalent polymers and inorganic materials. Recent interest in smart programmable supramolecular materials, inspired by natural systems, has directed the field towards temporal programming over the structure and functions of supramolecular materials. Thus, this Chapter covers the evolution of supramolecular chemistry to supramolecular materials and a further advancement from passive and simpler equilibrium materials to programmable, active and smart non-equilibrium supramolecular materials.