Host–guest chemistry and Fumio Toda

It gives us great pleasure to assemble this issue of CrystEngCommun on the field of host–guest chemistry (Fig. 1), particularly as related to the work of the late Fumio Toda. During the past four decades, host–guest chemistry has evolved from initial studies on inclusion compounds to being a mainstream field with relevance to areas such as energy storage, chemical sensors, catalysis, nanotechnology, and pharmaceutics. The work of Fumio Toda,¹ in this regard, was pioneering in terms of both addressing the fundamentals of how molecules interact in the solid state to the breadth of organic reactions that can be achieved in solids (Fig. 2).² One has to go no further than peruse the current literature on the organic solid state, and particularly its relation to organic synthesis, to witness the rapid upswing of green chemistry³ and growth of related areas such as co-crystals and mechanochemistry to realize the vision that Fumio displayed decades earlier.¹ We are, thus, delighted that the manuscripts cover many of the topics that encompass the current state of host–guest chemistry including synthon development, solid-state reactivity, polymorphism, pharmaceutical and reactive co-crystals, and mechanochemistry. We are equally delighted that the manuscripts are authored by both established authorities and emerging young investigators, many of whom knew Fumio personally and will continue to contribute to the growth and dissemination of our area.

Fig. 1 Editors Jerry L. Atwood, University of Missouri-Columbia (left) and Leonard R. MacGillivray, University of Iowa (right). Photo taken in Columbia, Missouri, USA on March 4th, 2011.

Fig. 2 Reactive inclusion complex involving a diol (blue) and olefin that undergoes an intermolecular [2 + 2] photodimerisation in the solid state.

References

1. (a) F. Toda, Top. Curr. Chem., 2005, 254, 1; (b) K. Tanaka and F. Toda, Chem. Rev., 2000, 100, 1025.
2. M. Kaftory, K. Tanaka and F. Toda, J. Org. Chem., 1985, 50, 2154.
3. P. Anastas and N. Eghbal, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2010, 39, 301.

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