A novel supramolecular polymer gel constructed by crosslinking pillar[5]arene-based supramolecular polymers through metal–ligand interactions

A novel heteroditopic A-B monomer was synthesized and used to construct linear supramolecular polymers utilizing pillar[5]arene-based host-guest interactions. Specifically, upon addition of Cu(2+) ions, the supramolecular polymer chains are crosslinked through metal-ligand interactions, resulting in the formation of a supramolecular polymer gel. Interestingly, this self-organized supramolecular polymer can be used as a novel fluorescent sensor for detecting Cu(2+) ions.