Reactivity in organised assemblies

This report reviews the 2008 literature on reactivity in organised assemblies. The report is subdivided in sections discussing (1) reactivity in micelles, including medium effects and compartmentalisation, enzymatic catalysis in micellar media and metallomicellar catalysis, (2) reactivity in vesicles, (3) reactivity in emulsions, (4) reactions in assemblies resulting from dynamic combinatorial chemistry and template approaches, (5) DNA-based approaches to influence reactivity including catalysis by DNA, DNA-templated synthesis and DNA-based asymmetric synthesis, (6) reactivity in nanoparticle-immobilised assemblies and (7) modulation of nanoparticle catalysis through the use of thermoresponsive polymers. We have chosen to interpret “organised assemblies” in a rather more liberal way than in previous years.^1–3 now including assemblies such as those involving DNA as well as constructions resulting from dynamic combinatorial self assembly which were turned into covalent “non dynamic assemblies”. In all cases, however, (self) organisation and (self) assembly are crucial to the results discussed. Related to the liberal interpretation of organised assemblies, this report does not (and cannot) aim to present an exhaustive review.