Definition of supramolecular chemistry. Nature of binding interactions in supramolecular structures: ion-ion, ion-dipole, dipole-dipole, H-bonding, cation-p, anion-p, p-p, and van der Waals interactions.

Synthesis and structure of crown ethers, lariat ethers, podands, cryptands, spherands, calixarenes, cyclodextrins, cyclophanes, cryptophanes, carcerands and hemicarcerands., Host-Guest interactions, pre-organization and complimentarity, lock and key analogy. Binding of cationic, anionic, ion pair and neutral guest molecules.

Crystal engineering: role of H-bonding and other weak interactions.

Self-assembly molecules: design, synthesis and properties of the molecules, self assembling by H-bonding, metal-ligand interactions and other weak interactions, metallomacrocycles, catenanes, rotaxanes, helicates and knots.

Molecular devices: molecular electronic devices, molecular wires, molecular rectifiers, molecular switches, molecular logic.

Relevance of supramolecular chemistry to mimic biological systems: cyclodextrins as enzyme mimics, ion channel mimics, supramolecular catalysis etc.

Examples of recent developments in supramolecular chemistry from current literature

Text Books:

1. J. -M. Lehn; Supramolecular Chemistry-Concepts and Perspectives (Wiley-VCH, 1995)
2. D. Beer, P. A. Gale, D. K. Smith; Supramolecular Chemistry (Oxford University Press, 1999)
3. W. Steed and J. L. Atwood; Supramolecular Chemistry (Wiley, 2000)