A cross-linked supramolecular polymer constructed from pillar[5]arene and porphyrine via host–guest interactions

A novel supramolecular polymer, DMeP5@TImPor, was successfully constructed from a host molecule, bis-(methoxy-pillar[5]arene) (DMeP5), and a guest molecule, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis{butoxy-4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)}porphyrine (TImPor), via host–guest interactions and characterized using a combination of various techniques, including NMR spectroscopy, DLS, SEM, TEM, and AFM. The addition of competitive guest adiponitrile (ADN) led to the effective dissociation of the complex DMeP5@TImPor and re-formation of the original guest species, giving additional support for the host–guest interaction-based supramolecular polymer nature of the present system. Interestingly, exposure of this supramolecular polymer thin film to an acidic gas led to complete quenching of the fluorescence, endowing the system with an application potential in acidic gas detection.