Recent development of pillar[n]arene-based amphiphiles

Pillar[n]arene-based amphiphiles,mainly including amphiphilic pillar[n]arenes and supra-amphiphilic pillar[n]arenes,have obtained considerable interests in recent years due to their fascinating chemical structures,various self-assembly behaviors,and widely applications.Thanks to the pillar-like frameworks and the rich host-guest recognitions of the cavities,these amphiphiles can be easily controlled to form dimensional and morphologic assemblies for multiple applications.Compared with traditional linear covalent amphiphiles,the introduction of host-guest recognitions facilitated the preparation and controllability of these supramolecular amphiphilic systems.Moreover,the host-guest recognitions endow the assemblies from pillar[n]arene-based amphiphiles with stimuli-responsive functions.In this mini-review,we summarized the chemical structures,self-assembly features,and the applications of pillar[n]arene-based amphiphiles.However,several research topics of pillar[n]arenebased amphiphiles can be further developed in the future,such as larger cavity amphiphilic pillar[n]arenes,co-assembly with 2 D materials and utilization of the host-guest interactions.