Supramolecular approaches to mediate chemical reactivity

EDITORIAL

Nature continuously inspires scientists to design novel prototypes of artificial systems with more and more advanced functions and properties [1,2]. In this regard, one of the greatest innovations was the discovery that small molecules can catalyze/mediate chemical reactions by a biomimetic approach [3,4]. Very recently, many efforts have been devoted to study supramolecular catalysis processes [5-14] in which macrocyclic hosts, self-assembled capsules and metallo-cages were employed as catalysts or nanocontainers.

The primary characteristic of supramolecular catalysis is that the general modes of activation based on intermolecular interactions can operate on substrates in a selective way, and in confined environment, like the active site of natural enzymes [5-14]. As a result, molecular recognition of the substrate(s) and potentially the transition state is essential in supramolecular catalysis.