The Design of Molecular Hosts, Guests, and Their Complexes (Nobel Lecture)

✍ Scribed by Prof. Donald J. Cram

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1988
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 904 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0044-8249
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.198810093

✦ Synopsis

Few scientists acquainted with the chemistry of biological systems at the molecular level can avoid being inspired. Evolution has produced chemical compounds exquisitely organized to accomplish the most complicated and delicate of tasks. Many organic chemists viewing crystal structures of enzyme systems or nucleic acids and knowing the marvels of specificity of the immune systems must dream of designing and synthesizing simpler organic compounds that imitate working features of these naturally occurring compounds. We had that ambition in the late 1950's. At that time, we were investigating n-complexes of the larger [m.n]paracyclophanes with (NC),C=C(CN),, and envisioned structures in which the a-acid was sandwiched by two benzene rings. Although no intercalated structures were observed,[','] we recognized that investigations of highly structured complexes would be central to simulation of enzymes by relatively simple organic compounds.

In 1967, Pedersen's first papers a ~p e a r e d ' ~. ~] which reported that alkali metal ions bind crown ethers to form highly structured complexes. We immediately recognized this work as a n entree into a general field. The 1969 papers on the design, synthesis, and binding properties of the cryptands by J.-M. Lehn, J.-P. Sauvage, and B. D i e t r i ~h l ~. ~' further demonstrated the attractions and opportunities of complexation chemistry. Although we tried to interest graduate students in synthesizing chiral crown ethers from