Supramolecular Approaches to Nanotechnology: Switching Properties and Dynamic Functions

In current nanotechnology, bottom-up approaches where supramolecular chemistry plays a crucial role are gradually gaining in importance relative to the top-down approaches. A key process of the bottom-up approaches is self-assembly of component materials where supramolecular chemistry plays a crucial role. Well-designed structures formed through self-assembly particularly make excellent prototypes for functioning man-made devices. Recent advances in organic chemistry allow us to construct attractive units that can be assembled into further advanced micro-factories, leading to switchable properties and dynamic functions. In this review, supramolecular approaches in nanotechnology for developing switching properties and dynamic functions are summarized and classified into three categories: (i) molecular functions in solution; (ii) hard supramolecular systems; (iii) soft supramolecular systems.