Language
Country/Area
No result found
The charm of supramolecular chemistry: Why are weak connections between molecules so important?
In the world of chemistry, the traditional perspective is usually focused on strong covalent bonds. However, supramolecular chemistry explores those seemingly weak yet highly influential non-covalent interactions. How these weak connections shape the complexity and diversity of chemical systems opens up endless possibilities for science.
Supramolecular chemistry is a field that explores chemical systems composed of a finite number of molecules, in which the strength of spatial organization arises from weak intermolecular forces.
The charm of supramolecular chemistry lies in that it not only focuses on the connections between molecules, but also on how these connections affect the structure and function of the synthesis. Through non-covalent interactions, chemists are able to design new materials, drugs, and devices with important applications ranging from biomedicine to materials science.
History of supramolecular chemistry
The roots of supramolecular chemistry can be traced back to the 19th century. In 1873, Johannes Diederik van der Waals proposed the concept of intermolecular forces, and Nobel Prize winner Hermann Emil Fischer described the "interaction" between enzymes and substrates in 1894. The "lock and key" interaction underpins the basic principles of molecular recognition.
As noncovalent interactions are better understood, scientists are beginning to emphasize their importance to biological systems.
With the gradual understanding of non-covalent bonds such as hydrogen bonds in the early 20th century, the development of supramolecular chemistry accelerated. The discovery of crown ethers by Charles Pedersen in 1967 pushed the boundaries of chemistry and opened up a new stream of research culminating in three scientists being awarded the Nobel Prize in 1987 for their contributions to supramolecular chemistry. After that, the design and synthesis of outstanding molecular machines attracted attention again in 2016, and three scientists jointly shaped the future of supramolecular chemistry.
Important Concepts
Molecular self-assembly
Molecular self-assembly is a system construction process that does not require external guidance and guides molecular assembly through non-covalent interactions. This process can be further divided into intermolecular self-assembly and intramolecular self-assembly. The former results in the formation of supramolecular combinations, while the latter results in entanglement or folding.
Molecular recognition and coordination
Molecular recognition refers to the specific binding of one molecule to another complementary molecule to form a host-guest complex. This process is crucial for the construction of molecular sensors and catalysts.
Template-guided synthesis
Supramolecular catalysis is a special case of this process, which uses non-covalent bonding to hold the active sites of reactants together to facilitate chemical reactions. This process is not only efficient but also reduces the chance of side reactions.
Mechanically interlocked molecular architecture
The ingenuity of these structures lies in the fact that their formation depends solely on their topology, not covalent bonds. Catenanes, rotaxanes and molecular knots are typical examples of mechanically interlocked molecules.
Dynamic Covalent Chemistry
In this process, covalent bonds are reversibly broken and formed under thermodynamic control. Non-covalent forces guide the system toward the lowest energy structure.
Biological Simulation
Many synthetic supramolecular systems are designed to mimic the functions of biological systems. Such biomimetic architectures not only help to understand biological mechanisms but also promote the advancement of synthetic technologies.
Applications
Material Technology
Supramolecular chemistry excels in the field of materials science and technology. Its self-assembly process is applied to the development of new materials. The construction of large structures often requires fewer steps, which makes the bottom-level synthesis method possible.
Catalyst design
One of the important applications of supramolecular chemistry is the design of catalysts. Non-covalent interactions play a crucial role in the binding of reactants, making them intrinsically important in catalysis research.
Medical Applications
Design in this field has spawned many innovations in functional biomaterials and therapeutic technologies, especially showing exciting potential in drug release and mimicking the functions of biomolecules.
Data Storage and Processing
The application of supramolecular chemistry also involves computational functions at the molecular level, and the technology of data storage and processing through photochemical or chemical signals is developing rapidly.
How can supramolecular chemistry further revolutionize our understanding and application of chemistry and harness its potential for new technological developments?
