The integration of supramolecular self-assembly with polymer materials has significantly expanded the structural diversity and functional applications of soft matter materials. Among various construction strategies, coordination cages with well-defined cavities, geometries, and specific dimensions can serve as functional cross-linking centers or modular units for building functional gel materials with dual porosity. Additionally, they introduce diverse host-guest chemistry characteristics into the gel systems. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the construction of gel materials using coordination cages as cross-linking units, with a focus on material design strategies and functional applications. It particularly highlights the promising potential of host-guest chemistry in endowing gels with guest-responsive properties.
Wang et al. (Wed,) studied this question.