Self-organized polymers as sensitive coatings

Chemosensory devices with self organized structures and artificial receptors are developed for a wide field of applications. Supramolecular hosts, highly ordered liquid crystal phases and even Langmuir Blodgett films are promising recognition elements. Cage compounds such as tert- butyl-calix[n]arene show high preorganization due to their rigid walls and form highly symmetrical cavities suitable for host guest inclusion of analytes. Disturbance of the highly ordered cholesteric and nematic phases influences the optical and dielectric properties of these materials.