Molecular recognition host—guest interaction

Supramolecular chemistry takes into consideration the weak and reversible non-covalent interactions between molecules, which include H-bond-ing, metal coordination, hydrophobic forces, van der Waals forces, n—n interactions, and covers different research fields, for example, molecular recognition, host-guest chemistry, mechanically interlocked and nanochemistry. 

Keywords. Rotaxane dendrimers. Host-guest interaction, Recognition, Self-assembly, Supra-molecular chemistry... 

Studies on molecular recognition by artificial receptors are thus one of the most important approaches to such characterization in relation to supramolecular chemistry [4]. Functional simulation of intracellular receptors in aqueous media has been actively carried out with attention to various noncovalent host-guest interactions, such as hydrophobic, electrostatic, hydrogen-bonding, charge-transfer, and van der Waals modes [5-10]. On the other hand, molecular recognition by artificial cell-surface receptors embedded in supramolecular assemblies has been scarcely studied up to the present time, except for channel-linked receptors [11-13]. 

Yoshida. N. (1995) Dynamic acpects in host-guest interactions. Part 4. Kinetic and ll NMR evidence for multi-step directional binding in the molecular recognition of some 2-naphthylazophenol guests with a-cyclodextrin, Perkin Trans. 2 2249-2256. 

Over the years, a range of structurally diverse crown ethers has been prepared and fundamental studies has been conducted on them to understand host-guest interactions in solution and the solid state. This has provided the basis for the growth of supramolecular chemistry, and novel applications for crown ethers are now proliferating in several fields of chemistry and biology. In this section, we present a selection of the new trends that have emerged in the literature in the last decade in the field of ion, ion-pair, and chiral molecular recognition. 

Molecular recognition has influenced sensor development, first with alkali ions and later with more complex host-guest interactions. New materials likely to have an important impact in the future are conducting polymers, semiconductor nanoparticles, and fluorescent and colorimetric reporter molecules. 

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