Supramolecular polymers

Supramolecular polymers are polymers that are made of repeating units held together by only non-covalent bonds. The status of supramolecular polymers is discussed, with special emphasis on the unique possibilities of these systems for obtaining information about the detailed conformations of large polymeric assemblies in solutions and of hydrogen-bonded polymers as new polymeric materials. These supramolecular polymers can be used to unravel many fundamental polymer issues, since their reversible character rules out the kinetic constraints present in traditional polymeric systems with high viscosity.