Supramolecular Chemistry and Molecular Recognition

Focal Point: Chemical Research : ILMAC Congress: October 13, 1999

Abstract

Supramolecular chemistry involves the study of molecular assemblies in which noncovalent interactions such as Coulomb forces, hydrophobic interactions, and hydrogen bonding are the principle binding forces. As such it has become an established research area encompassing all disciplines of chemistry which have been traditionally separated in the past.
Nowadays it is understood that noncovalent interactions are extremely important in many biological processes such as receptor–ligand binding, enzyme–substrate complex formation, antibody–hapten binding, and cell surface recognition, to name but a few. Accordingly, supramolecular chemistry is likely to provide insight into these phenomena by the investigation of artificial synthesizable molecular assemblies. Besides this, it can be predicted that applications in nanotechnology will use supramolecular devices as sensors and as modules for storing and processing information.
To capture the recent development in this fast growing area the Section Chemical Research of the New Swiss Chemical Society invited some protagonists of the field for a state-of-the-art report on the occasion of its annual autumn meeting in Basel. The following account reviews some aspects of the presentations. Selected references are provided for further information.