Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News and Views Feature
  • Published:

Chemistry beyond the molecule

Nature volume 412, pages 397–400 (2001)Cite this article

Supramolecular chemistry has grown in importance because it goes beyond the molecule — the focus of classical chemistry. It also offers a fresh interface with biological and materials science.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Supramolecular structures formed by intermolecular interactions.
Figure 2: The building blocks of supramolecular chemistry.

SCOTT CHILDS

Figure 3: In many cubane acids, the carboxyl groups (CO2H) form a synthon based on extended O–H˙˙˙O and C–H˙˙˙O bonds.
Figure 4: Supramolecular approach to a biological problem.

SCOTT CHILDS

References

  1. Fischer, E. Ber. Dt. Chem. Ges. 27, 2985–2993 (1894).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lehn, J.-M. Supramolecular Chemistry: Concepts and Perspectives (VCH, Weinheim, 1995).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  3. Desiraju, G. R. Nature 408, 407 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Powell, H. M. J. Chem. Soc. 61–73 (1973).

  5. Noro, S., Kitagawa, S., Kondo, M. & Seki, K. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 39, 2081–2084 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Autumn, K. et al. Nature 405, 681–685 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Jeffrey, G. A. An Introduction to Hydrogen Bonding (Oxford Univ. Press, New York, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Desiraju, G. R. & Steiner, T. The Weak Hydrogen Bond in Structural Chemistry and Biology (Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford, 1999).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Steiner, T. & Koellner, G. J. Mol. Biol. 305, 535–557 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Desiraju, G. R. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl. 34, 2311–2327 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Kuduva, S. S., Craig. D. C., Nangia, A. & Desiraju, G. R. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 121, 1936–1944 (1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Li, H., Eddaoudi, M., O'Keefe, M. & Yaghi, O. M. Nature 402, 276–279 (1999).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Müller, A., Shah, S. Q. N., Bögge, H. & Schmidtmann, M. Nature 397, 48–50 (1999).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Nangia, A. & Desiraju, G. R. Chem. Commun. 605–606 (1999).

  15. Yau, S.-T. & Vekilov, P. G. Nature 406, 494–497 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lippard, S. J. Chem. Eng. News 7 August 64–65 (2000).

  17. Fernandez-Lopez, S. et al. Nature 412, 452–455 (2001).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Albrecht, M., Lutz, M., Spek, A. L. & van Koten, G. Nature 406, 970–974 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kahn, O. Acc. Chem. Res. 33, 647–657 (2000).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Freemantle, M. Chem. Eng. News 19 June, 48–58 (2000).

  21. Samal, S., Choi, B.-J. & Geckeler, K. E. Chem. Commun. 1373–1374 (2000).

  22. Prins, L. J., De Jong, F., Timmerman, P. & Reinhoudt, D. N. Nature 408, 181–184 (2000).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500 046, India

    Gautam R. Desiraju

Authors
  1. Gautam R. Desiraju
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gautam R. Desiraju.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Desiraju, G. Chemistry beyond the molecule. Nature 412, 397–400 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35086640

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35086640

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing