Macrocyclic Encapsulated Conjugated Polymers

Conjugated polymers continue to demonstrate impressive performance in almost any device or function to which they are applied. However, our understanding of the underlying processes, such as the importance of inter- and intramolecular interactions, is rather limited. Encapsulated conjugated materials are an attractive class of materials that could potentially improve our fundamental understanding in these areas. This Perspective highlights important developments in the synthesis of encapsulated conjugated polymers and discusses some of their uses in organic electronics. By showing several examples of the two different types of macrocyclic encapsulated materials (covalent and noncovalent), we hope to provide a brief overview and honest perspective of both systems, their use, and future potential.