About this Research Topic
Supramolecular chemistry is a fundamental cross-discipline that investigates weak intermolecular forces, which are fundamental for all recognition, transport and sensing phenomena. Much less investigated, is their role in catalysis. Even enzymes, that are biological catalysts, are characterized by recognition phenomena involving the binding of the substrate but more importantly the binding and stabilization of intermediates and transition states of the reactions. The latter recognition phenomena are responsible for the astonishing rate accelerations typical of enzymes.
Traditional host-guest chemistry can be re-interpreted as catalyst-substrate interactions when the guest is a reagent or, even better, an intermediate of a chemical transformation. In the latter case, the host becomes a supramolecular catalyst that reduces the activation barrier for substrate conversion into products, with consequent rate acceleration, product and substrate selectivity.
Catalysis needs a new point of view to achieve higher targets, therefore a closer look at the intermolecular interaction between catalysts and substrates is pivotal. Similarly, supramolecular chemistry and recognition phenomena find in the stabilization of reaction intermediates and in the activation of substrates proper challenges.
After the success of the first article collection Supramolecular Aspects in Catalysis in 2018, the present Topic aims at bringing to the reader a selection of the cutting-edge contributions in the fast-growing field of supramolecular aspects in catalysis, open to any example of catalysis in which supramolecular interactions play a key role.
Keywords: Supramolecular chemistry, supramolecular catalysis, molecular recognition, non-covalent interactions, self-assembly
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
