Hierarchical Self-Assembly of Hyperbranched Polymer-Based Topological Supramolecular Amphiphiles.

ABSTRACT

Supramolecular polymers (SPs) are constructed through non-covalent interactions. The dynamic or reversible nature of SPs endows them unique physical and chemical properties, such as self-adaptive and stimuli-response abilities. The topological structures of SPs play an important role in determining the physicochemical properties and functionality. Hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) are highly branched 3D macromolecules with linear, dendritic, and terminal units, which makes them versatile candidates for the construction of SPs with fascinating architectures. The resultant HBP-based SPs perfectly integrated the dynamic/reversible nature of SPs and the 3D topological features and multifunctionality of HBP polymers. To date, various types of HBP-based SPs and their assemblies have been constructed, and their potential applications have been explored as well. This article overviews the current progress on self-assembly of HBP-based SPs. The strategies for construction of HBP-based SPs and their assemblies are discussed. Typical potential applications of the assemblies of HBP-based SPs are also introduced.