New macrocyclic arenes and beyond: synthesis, properties and applications

Macrocyclic arenes, constructed from electron-rich aromatic rings as building blocks, have attracted increasing interest in recent years owing to their unique structures, facile functionalization and wide range of applications. Consequently, a growing number of macrocyclic arenes composed of diverse aromatic building blocks have been designed and constructed by research groups worldwide. Especially, the development of novel macrocyclic arenes is currently becoming one of the most frontiers and intensely studied topics in macrocyclic and supramolecular chemistry. This review summarizes the recent progress of new kinds of macrocyclic arenes, particularly focusing on the important contributions made by Chinese researchers to new macrocyclic arenes and beyond over the past decade, encompassing their synthesis, properties and applications in molecular recognition, self-assembly, molecular machines, biomedical science, and functional materials. Finally, we provide perspectives on the future development of this dynamic field, with the aim of inspiring cross-disciplinary collaborations to fully unlock the potential of macrocyclic arenes across diverse scientific fields.