CHAPTER 6: Supra-Amphiphiles Based on Coordination Bonds

In addition to supra-amphiphiles formed by hydrogen bonding, electrostatic attraction, host–guest recognition, charge transfer interactions, hydrophobic–hydrophilic interactions and π–π stacking interactions, some supramolecular amphiphiles are driven by coordination bonds (also known as metal–ligand interactions). Compared with other non-covalent interactions, metal–ligand interactions offer many unique advantages in the construction of supra-amphiphiles. As a result of their tunable binding geometry and strength, metal–ligand interactions allow facile control over molecular topology and self-assembly behavior. In addition, the presence of a metal complex in the copolymer structure introduces unique functionalities—including electrochemical, photochemical and redox properties—that are not observed in covalent or noncovalent counterparts. The presence of active metal complexes in micellar systems could be interesting for applications in supported catalysis and nanotechnology. This chapter reviews supra-amphiphiles based on metal–ligand interactions. We first focus on the topology and self-assembly of supra-amphiphiles with different levels of complexity and then summarize the functions and applications of coordination supra-amphiphiles.