Supramolecular chemistry: crown ethers, cryptands, host-guest chemistry
Química supramolecular: éteres corona, criptandos y reconocimiento molecular
- Date
- 1967-1978 · confidence high
- Place
- DuPont, Wilmington (Pedersen); Strasbourg (Lehn); UCLA (Cram)
- Credited to
- Charles Pedersen (crown ethers, 1967); Jean-Marie Lehn (cryptands, 1969; term 'supramolecular', 1978); Donald Cram (host-guest chemistry)
- People
- 👤 Charles J. Pedersen1904–1989👤 Donald James Cram1919–2001👤 Jean-Marie Lehn1939–
- Field
- Matter & energy
What was discovered
Designed molecules recognise and encapsulate ions or other molecules through non-covalent interactions, mimicking enzymes. Chemistry 'beyond the molecule' is born.
Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1987 (Pedersen, Lehn and Cram).
What it led to
- Molecular machines (Nobel 2016)
- Chemical sensors
- Self-assembly and nanotechnology
- Ion and drug transport
Built on
- Hydrogen bond1920
- coordination chemistry
- ionophore antibiotics (valinomycin)
Made possible
- Metal-organic frameworks and reticular chemistry1995-1999
- synthetic ionophores
- rotaxanes and catenanes