A Four‐Armed Unsymmetrical Cryptand: From Two Different Host–Guest Interactions to Responsive Supramolecular Polymer

By linking BMP32C10 and DB24C8 motifs together, a four-armed cryptand 1 is synthesized successfully, in which BMP32C10 motif can bind paraquat 2 while DB24C8 motif can complex dibenzylammonium salt 3 in spite of the electrostatic repulsion between guests 2 and 3. The base/acid-responsive supramolecular polymer is constructed further via two kinds of host–guest interactions between cryptand 1 and two homoditopic paraquat 4 and dibenzylammonium salt 5 similar to guests 2 and 3.