Conjugated macrocycle polymers

Abstract

Conjugated macrocycle polymers (CMPs) are an emerging class of organic porous materials with built-in supramolecular macrocycles in the conjugated skeleton through robust covalent bonds. Ideally, such an ingenious combination of extended π-conjugated networks and macrocycles with intrinsic cavities can offer enormous flexibility for molecular design to produce multiple binding sites and hierarchical aperture structures. CMPs can be constructed through kinetically controlled irreversible polymerization, which permits them to be tolerant to harsh conditions for customized functionalization. These features of CMPs make them promising candidates in many applications ranging from heterogeneous catalysis to molecule adsorption, separation, and sensing. Ever-increasing attention has been paid to the rapid expansion of this research area over the past few years, which has created a new interface in supramolecular chemistry and materials science. In this review article, the recent progress in CMPs will be explicitly presented, including their molecular design, synthesis, distinct functional exploration, and related applications. Finally, the outlook and challenges of this field will be discussed.