Title: Supramolecular Hosts as Enzyme Mimics
Modern organic synthesis relies heavily on selective reactions to enable sustainable access to fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. In enzymatic catalysis, nature employs various mechanisms to achieve the desired selectivity and activity. Similarly, we have explored organic and organometallic reactions catalyzed by self-assembled water-soluble supramolecular clusters. These supramolecular hosts offer a confined environment that can enhance selectivity and accelerate reaction rates, as well as enable new product formation not achievable by uncatalyzed processes. The lecture will focus on the research in the field of supramolecular catalysis, discussing the reactions promoted by encapsulation, the underlying interactions enabling catalysis, and the mechanisms involved.