Advancements and strategic approaches in catenane synthesis
Catenanes have captured the imagination of chemists with their intriguing features. In this review, we have overviewed different approaches developed for the synthesis of catenanes, ranging from early statistical methods to the state-of-the-art template-directed syntheses.
Molecular vessels from preorganised natural building blocks
Evolution of supramolecular vessels by combination of various scaffolds and natural building blocks is reviewed. These nanocontainers are crafted by covalent chemistry or self-assembly for applications in sensing, transport, and catalysis.
Review Article
Squaramide-based receptors in anion supramolecular chemistry: insights into anion binding, sensing, transport and extraction
Squaramides are a class of extremely versatile receptors for anion recognition, sensing, transport and extraction.
Review Article
Stimuli-responsive synthetic helical polymers
Synthetic dynamic helical polymers (supramolecular and covalent) and foldamers share the helix as a structural motif.
Review Article
Recent advances in supramolecular fullerene chemistry
We review recent work at the interface of supramolecular chemistry and fullerene chemistry. We focus on selective fullerene functionalization, host–guest chemistry, non-covalent dyads, mechanically interlocked architectures and 2D/3D assemblies.
Metallosupramolecular polymers: current status and future prospects
Metallo-supramolecular polymers have gained increasing attention and witnessed continuous development as a vibrant new research interest in the domain of soft materials.
Review Article
Chiral supramolecular polymers
Within the field of supramolecular polymers, chiral supramolecular polymers are an excellent benchmark to generate helical structures that can clarify the origin of homochirality in Nature or to find out new exciting functionalities of organic materials.
Review Article
π-Electronic ion pairs: building blocks for supramolecular nanoarchitectonics viaiπ–iπ interactions
Ion pairs comprising π-electronic cations and anions, formed viaiπ–iπ interactions with synergetically worked electrostatic and dispersion forces, and their properties for potential applications as functional materials are summarized.
Heterometallic cages: synthesis and applications
The general methods used for synthesizing heterometallic cages are described. The intrinsic properties and applications of these cages as host–guest systems and catalysts are also examined.
Tutorial Review
Tools to enable the study and translation of supramolecular amphiphiles
We present key methodologies, illustrated with key case studies, to enable the study of supramolecular amphiphiles and support technology translation.
Smart organic materials based on macrocycle hosts
A succinct and illustrative summary of the recent progress of supramolecular smart organic materials based on macrocycle hosts is provided spanning the aspects of design principles, functioning mechanisms, and relative applications.
Hydrogen atoms in supramolecular chemistry: a structural perspective. Where are they, and why does it matter?
This Tutorial Review discusses the opportunities and challenges of locating hydrogen atoms in X-ray crystal structures, particularly those of supramolecular systems.
About this collection
Supramolecular chemistry is concerned with the “chemistry beyond the molecule” and has blossomed into a field that truly transcends all of the traditional disciplines of chemistry. Originally featuring fundamental investigations of host-guest chemistry - and primarily organic chemistry – the paradigm of supramolecular chemistry is now used to construct diverse structures for applications ranging from chemical sensors and catalysts to porous materials and stimuli-responsive surfaces. Concepts in supramolecular chemistry enable the development of molecular complexity that mimics the hierarchical structures found in nature.
Guest Edited by Professor Michaele Hardie (University of Leeds, UK), Professor Mark MacLachlan (University of British Columbia, Canada), and Professor Katsuhiro Maeda (Kanazawa University, Japan), this special collection highlights the exciting developments taking place across the globe in the field of supramolecular chemistry. Reviews are anticipated to cover the synthesis of new supramolecular architectures, host-guest studies of macrocycle systems, stimuli-responsive polymers and materials, porous structures for host-guest chemistry, biological membranes, helical nanostructures, and other topics that exemplify the beauty of the field.