Supramolecular gels constructed from low-molecular-weight gelators via noncovalent interactions have received increasing attention. The rapid development of stimuli-responsive supramolecular gels with attractive properties is highly desirable to meet the ever-growing demand of materials science and chemistry. The inherent reversible and dynamic nature of noncovalent interactions in supramolecular gels endows the materials with sensing, processing, and actuating functions in response to specific environmental changes and offers them great potential in flexible biomaterials and intelligent devices. In particular, pillar[n]arenes with symmetrical pillar-shaped architectures have been recognized as an emerging class of synthetic macrocycles after crown ethers, cyclodextrins, calixarenes, and cucurbiturils, and proven to be excellent candidates for the fabrication of functional supramolecular gels due to their many advantages including facile synthesis, diverse functionalization, and appealing host-guest properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in supramolecular gels involving pillar[n]arenes and their derivatives as synthetic macrocyclic arenes, from the viewpoints of the synthetic approach, controllable assembly, stimuli-responsiveness, and functions. Perspectives of this burgeoning field of research are also given at the end.

中文翻译：

---

基于柱状[n]芳烃大环的功能性超分子凝胶。

由低分子量胶凝剂通过非共价相互作用构成的超分子凝胶受到越来越多的关注。为了满足材料科学和化学的不断增长的需求，迫切需要具有吸引人的特性的刺激响应性超分子凝胶的快速开发。超分子凝胶中非共价相互作用固有的可逆和动态性质赋予材料以响应特定环境变化的传感，加工和驱动功能，并为它们在柔性生物材料和智能设备中提供了巨大潜力。特别是，在冠醚，环糊精，杯芳烃和葫芦科植物之后，具有对称柱状结构的柱[n]芳烃已被视为新兴的合成大环化合物，由于具有许多优点，包括合成容易，功能多样化和吸引人的客体特性，因此被证明是制备功能超分子凝胶的极佳候选者。这篇综述从合成方法，可控制的组装，刺激反应性和功能的角度全面概述了涉及柱[n]芳烃及其衍生物作为合成大环芳烃的超分子凝胶的最新进展。最后，还给出了这个新兴研究领域的观点。这篇综述从合成方法，可控制的组装，刺激反应性和功能的角度全面概述了涉及柱[n]芳烃及其衍生物作为合成大环芳烃的超分子凝胶的最新进展。最后，还给出了这个新兴研究领域的观点。这篇综述从合成方法，可控制的组装，刺激反应性和功能的角度全面概述了涉及柱[n]芳烃及其衍生物作为合成大环芳烃的超分子凝胶的最新进展。最后，还给出了这个新兴研究领域的观点。