SUPRAMOLECULAR CHEMISTRY- SCOPE AND PERSPECTIVES MOLECULES- SUPERMOLECULES- MOLECULAR DEVICES

Supramolecular chemistry is the chemistry of the intermolecular bond, cover-ing the structures and functions of the entities formed by association of two or more chemical species. Molecular recognition in the supermolecules formed by receptor-substrate binding rests on the principles of molecular complementar-ity, as found in spherical and tetrahedral recognition, linear recognition by coreceptors, metalloreceptors, amphiphilic receptors, anion coordination. Su-pramolecular catalysis by receptors bearing reactive groups effects bond clea-vage reactions as well as synthetic, bond formation via cocatalysis. Lipophilic receptor molecules act as selective carriers for various substrates and allow to set up coupled transport processes linked to electron and proton gradients or to light. Whereas endo-receptors bind substrates in molecular cavities by conver-gent interactions, exo-receptors rely on interactions between the surfaces of the receptor and the substrate; thus new types of receptors such as the metallonu-cleates may be designed. In combination with polymolecular assemblies, recep