Shape persistence as a concept in the design of macromolecular architectures

Shape persistent macromolecules are objects defined by a time independent overall shape. In most cases such macromolecular objects are characterized by an exterior surface structure and an internal architecture giving coherence to the shape and topology. Shape persistent macromolecules are essential to the development of a polymer based nanotechnology and serve as constitutive units of larger scale architectures either via self‐organization or via processes in which they are assembled to give constructs of nanoscale defined patterns.