The research field of supramolecular polymerization has dramatically progressed in the last three decades, and much deeper insights into its new mechanisms, including kinetic and thermodynamic aspects, have become available. Furthermore, a much wider variety of noncovalent interactions have been exploited for connecting monomers, and the importance of multivalency and the concept of pathway complexity have also been recognized. To control supramolecular polymerization, chain-growth supramolecular polymerization, seeded supramolecular polymerization, and sequence-specific supramolecular copolymerization, which are essential for precise macromolecular synthesis, are now possible. The stereochemical aspects of supramolecular polymerization using chiral monomers have also been studied extensively, contributing to the understanding of the kinetic aspects of supramolecular polymerization. Nanotubular supramolecular polymerization, forming rolled-up 2D architectures, in contrast to linear supramolecular polymerization, has also been developed. Through the conceptual expansion of supramolecular polymerization, a much wider variety of monomers and media have become usable, which will enable many groundbreaking applications that cannot be attained by conventional covalent polymerization.

在过去的三十年中，超分子聚合的研究领域取得了长足的进步，并且对其新机理（包括动力学和热力学方面）有了更深入的了解。此外，已经开发了各种各样的非共价相互作用来连接单体，并且多价的重要性和途径复杂性的概念也得到了认可。为了控制超分子聚合，现在有可能进行链增长的超分子聚合，种子化的超分子聚合和特定于序列的超分子共聚，这对于精确的大分子合成是必不可少的。使用手性单体的超分子聚合的立体化学方面也得到了广泛的研究，有助于理解超分子聚合的动力学方面。与线性超分子聚合相反，还开发了形成管状2D结构的纳米管超分子聚合。通过超分子聚合的概念扩展，已经可以使用种类繁多的单体和介质，这将实现许多常规共价聚合无法实现的突破性应用。