Anion Recognition-Directed Supramolecular Catalysis with Functional Macrocycles and Molecular Cages

Abstract

The development of supramolecular chemistry has provided a variety of host molecules and noncovalent tools for boosting catalytic processes, stimulating the emergence and advance of supramolecular catalysis, among which macrocyclic and cage-like compounds have attracted great attention due to their possession of an enzyme-mimetic cavity and recognition ability. While the privileged scaffolds such as crown ethers, cyclodextrins, cucurbiturils, calixarenes, and metal-coordinated cages have been widely used, their skeletons usually do not contain a directional binding site; binding and activation mainly rely on cation-associated interactions or hydrophobic effects. In this context, the recent advance of anion supramolecular chemistry has drawn our attention to developing an anion recognition-directed approach by using tailor-made functionalized macrocycles and cages. Anions are important widely existing species in both biological and chemical systems and play an important role in regulating the structure and function of enzymes. We envisioned that by taking advantage of anions, including their rich variety, diverse geometry, and multiple interaction sites, the sophisticated cooperation of multiple noncovalent interactions can be manipulated in a confined cavity for directing efficient and selective catalysis.