Figure 1. Conventional molecular sensing and molecular decoding protocols.

(a) The conventional molecular sensing protocol is demonstrated by molecules or organic polymers that possess the following two distinct chemical units: a recognition part and a transduction part. An improvement in the recognition selectivity leads to a high sensing capability. (b) Molecular decoding materials can not only accommodate chemically diverse analytes but also differentiate between them by displaying a signal that corresponds to each analyte. The direct transduction of the host–guest interaction into a corresponding signal is key to the implementation of successful molecular decoding.