A review on β-cyclodextrin-based self-healable supramolecular systems: mechanisms and biomedical applications

Abstract

Supramolecular self-healing materials have attracted significant interest due to their capacity for autonomous damage repair, which enhances their durability and functional performance. This review examines the design strategies and recent advances in self-healing systems driven by host–guest interactions, with a particular focus on cyclodextrin (CD)-based architectures. β-Cyclodextrin (β-CD), owing to its biocompatibility and strong ability to form inclusion complexes, serves as a crucial building block in the design of host–guest-based self-healing systems. These self-healable materials have garnered significant attention owing to their potential applications in various fields, specifically biomedical applications. This review highlights the recent advancements in β-CD-based supramolecular materials, focusing on their unique host–guest (HG) interactions that result in the emergence of their self-healing properties. We discuss β-CD and its ability to form inclusion complexes with a range of guest molecules, which promotes reversible interactions that are critical for self-healing mechanisms. The synthesis methods, structural design, and influence of environmental conditions on the healing efficiency of these materials are critically analyzed. Furthermore, we explore the performance of β-CD-based systems in practical applications and provide insights into future research directions aimed at enhancing the robustness and applicability of these materials. Our findings underscore the potential of β-CD-based supramolecular networks as versatile platforms for the development of advanced materials with reliable self-healing capabilities.