Gated Materials: Installing Macrocyclic Arenes-Based Supramolecular Nanovalves on Porous Nanomaterials for Controlled Cargo Release.

Supramolecular nanovalves are an emerging class of important elements that are functionalized on the surfaces of inorganic or hybrid nanocarriers in the constructions of smart cargo delivery systems. Taking advantage of the pseudorotaxane structure via host-guest complexation and the dynamic nature of supramolecular interactions, macrocyclic arene-based supramolecular nanovalves have shown great promise in the applications of drug delivery and controlled release. Careful selection of diverse external stimuli, such as pH variations, temperature changes, redox, enzymes, light irradiation and competitive binding, can activate the opening and closing of the nanovalves by altering the supramolecular structure or binding affinities. Meanwhile, the porous solid supports in controlled release systems also play an important role in the functionalities of the nanocarriers, which include, but not limited to, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), metal organic frameworks (MOFs), core-shell nanomaterials and rare-earth porous nanomaterials. The elaborate decoration by macrocyclic arenes-based supramolecular nanovalves on porous nanomaterials has provided intelligent controlled release platforms. In this review, we will focus on the overview of supramolecular nanovalves based on two typical macrocyclic arenes, i.e., calixarenes and pillarenes, and their operation manners in the controlled release processes.