Introduction for the Special Collection of Papers in the Honor of Robert Deschenaux.

This document is an introduction to a special collection of papers in honor of Robert Deschenaux, a chemist who made significant contributions to the field of soft materials. Deschenaux was born in Switzerland in 1957 and obtained his PhD in chemistry in 1983. Throughout his career, he conducted research on various topics including metal complexes, liquid-crystalline materials, and dendrimers. Deschenaux also played a role in teaching and promoting chemistry. The special collection of papers was organized to celebrate his retirement and his outstanding contributions to the field. [Extracted from the article]