Supramolecular Chemistry

3 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

This course will explore the realms of so-called supramolecular chemistry, host-guest chemistry, and self-assembly. Over the past 50+ years, chemists have developed an ability to exploit non-covalent (or reversible covalent) intermolecular interactions, occasionally inspired by molecular biology, in order to realize the potential of being able to design organized, informed, and functional molecular architectures to various productive ends. For three pioneers of the field, research efforts culminated in the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1987, but more important is the recognition that aspects of intermolecular organization and “chemistry beyond the molecule” permeate all aspects of the chemical sciences, from nanochemistry, to materials science, to chemical synthesis, to molecular biology. This special-topics course will begin with a textbook discussion of intermolecular interactions, but will eventually attempt to focus on the lessons that can be gleaned from landmark experiments and papers in what is now an expansive and diverse field of contemporary chemistry. Some topics that will be covered include: Introduction (perusal of the field, definitions, etc.) Classical Theory of Intermolecular Interactions (ion-ion, ion-dipole, dipole-dipole, polar-nonpolar, dispersion, van der Waals interactions, semi-empirical atom-atom potentials, hydrogen bonding, solvation, hydrophobic effect, - interactions, cation- interactions, weak hydrogen bonds, charge transfer, halogen bonding, “unconventional interactions” etc.) Synthetic Hosts for Molecular Recognition (cation recognition, crown ethers, cryptands, cavitands, anion binding/recognition, catenanes, rotaxanes, knots, dendrimers, container molecules, macocycles, kinetic and thermodynamic templation) Lessons in Supramolecular Chemistry (basic thermodynamics, basic equilibrium, kinetics, measurement of association constants, thermodynamic cycles, physical/experimental techniques, databases, enthalpy-entropy compensation, enantioselectivity) Functional Molecular Matter (encarceration, constrictive binding, gating, supramolecular isomerism, self-assembly, chemistry within molecules, biological self-assembly and conservation of information, self-sorting, issues of length scale, sensing, supramolecular synthesis/catalysis, enzyme mimics, molecular machines, self-replication/autocatalysis, dynamic combinatorial libraries, amplification, dynamic covalent chemistry, mesoscale assembly, crystal engioneering, gels, etc.)