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Naturally occurring polymeric structures often consist of 1D polymer chains intricately folded and entwined through non‐covalent bonds, adopting precise topologies crucial for their functionality. The exploration of crystalline 1D polymers through dynamic covalent chemistry (DCvC) and supramolecular interactions represents a novel approach for developing crystalline polymers. This study shows that sub‐angstrom differences in the counter‐ion size can lead to various helical covalent polymer (HCP) topologies, including a novel metal‐coordination HCP (m‐HCP) motif. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (SCXRD) analysis of HCP−Na revealed that double helical pairs are formed by sodium ions coordinating to spiroborate linkages to form rectangular pores. The double helices are interpenetrated by the unreacted diols coordinating sodium ions. The reticulation of the m‐HCP structure was demonstrated by the successful synthesis of HCP−K. Finally, ion‐exchange studies were conducted to show the interconversion between HCP structures. This research illustrates how seemingly simple modifications, such as changes in counter‐ion size, can significantly influence the polymer topology and determine which supramolecular interactions dominate the crystal lattice.

Self‐sorting is commonly observed in complex reaction systems, which has been utilized to guide the formation of single major by‐design molecules. However, most studies have been focused on non‐covalent systems, and using self‐sorting to achieve covalently bonded architectures is still relatively less explored. Herein, we first demonstrated the dynamic nature of spiroborate linkage and systematically studied the self‐sorting behavior observed in the transformation between spiroborate‐linked well‐defined polymeric and molecular architectures, which is enabled by spiroborate bond exchange. The scrambling between a macrocycle and a 1D helical covalent polymer led to the formation of a molecular cage, whose structures are all unambiguously elucidated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate that the molecular cage is the thermodynamically favored product in this multi‐component reaction system. This work represents the first example of a 1D polymeric architecture transforming into a shape‐persistent molecular cage, driven by dynamic covalent self‐sorting. This study will further guide the design of spiroborate‐based materials and open the possibilities for the development of novel complex yet responsive dynamic covalent molecular or polymeric systems.

Self‐sorting is commonly observed in complex reaction systems, which has been utilized to guide the formation of single major by‐design molecules. However, most studies have been focused on non‐covalent systems, and using self‐sorting to achieve covalently bonded architectures is still relatively less explored. Herein, we first demonstrated the dynamic nature of spiroborate linkage and systematically studied the self‐sorting behavior observed in the transformation between spiroborate‐linked well‐defined polymeric and molecular architectures, which is enabled by spiroborate bond exchange. The scrambling between a macrocycle and a 1D helical covalent polymer led to the formation of a molecular cage, whose structures are all unambiguously elucidated by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate that the molecular cage is the thermodynamically favored product in this multi‐component reaction system. This work represents the first example of a 1D polymeric architecture transforming into a shape‐persistent molecular cage, driven by dynamic covalent self‐sorting. This study will further guide the design of spiroborate‐based materials and open the possibilities for the development of novel complex yet responsive dynamic covalent molecular or polymeric systems.