Lehn, Jean-Marie, definition

In many respects, the above question is like asking How long is a piece of string - the answer will depend upon the precise circumstances and who is asked. It is probably true that most workers actively involved in this field have their own private definition. The rapid development of this area over the past decade or so is due to the endeavours of Jean-Marie Lehn more than any other, and it seems appropriate to commence with his own definition. 

Supramolecular chemistry has been defined by one of its leading proponents, Jean-Marie Lehn, who won the Nobel Prize for his work in the area in 1987, as the chemistry of molecular assemblies and of the intermolecular bond . More colloquially this may be expressed as chemistry beyond the molecule . Other definitions include phrases such as the chemistry of the non-covalent bond and non-molecular chemistry . Originally supramolecular chemistry was defined in terms of the non-covalent interaction between a host and a guest molecule as highlighted in Figure 1.1, which illustrates the relationship between molecular and supramolecular chemistry in terms of both structures and function. 

The concept of complex intermolecular interactions being described as supramolecular - literally beyond, or transcending, the molecule - is now associated with Jean-Marie Lehn s definition from the late 1970s ... 

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