Supramolecular Polymerization in Binary Solvent Mixtures: Learnings from Unique Cases

Supramolecular polymers are a class of dynamic materials with varied applications in material science and biomaterials. The quality and nature of solvent are often used to control various aspects of supramolecular polymerization. A vast majority of monomers or building blocks are known to assemble in a single solvent, which promotes intermolecular interactions. A small fraction of monomers requires a combination of solvent and anti-solvent to promote colloidal assembly. In the past decade, examples are emerging in which the solvents seem to exhibit specific roles in controlling the assembly, beyond the conventional solvent/anti-solvent modes. In this perspective, we discuss recent examples in which solvents seem to play an unconventional role in dictating supramolecular polymerization. Often, the unique assembly behavior is attributed to the thermodynamics of binary mixture governing the solvation. We envisage that the specific interaction between the monomer and solvent warrants a careful consideration, in addition to the solvent-solvent interactions to account for the perceived special effects of the solvents.