270104 VO Supramolecular Chemistry (2023S)

The objective of this module is to reach an understanding of the nature and magnitude of the intermolecular dynamic interactions that provide the driving force for the recognition between organic molecules and/or ions induced by covalent and non-covalent bonding interactions in solution, solid-state and at interfaces. The current trend in modern organic chemistry is to go beyond the classical molecular approach to provide a deeper understanding of molecular organization at different scales in both artificial and biological systems. We will introduce the concepts of systems at the equilibrium and out-of-equilibrium. We will survey the most important engineering approaches toward the preparation of complex organic architecture along with the exploitation approaches for engineering technological-relevant applications. By surfing through the most important examples and the synthetic organic approaches, we will also show how programming of the organic molecular components one can reach higher level of complexity with such a structure/activity level of understanding to design functional organic supramolecular architectures featuring applications in organic chemistry, catalysis, chemical biology, and materials science.
Once the basic principles have been covered, the course will move on to a discussion of principles and examples of solution, surface and solid-state self-assembled molecular species. Specifically, organic molecular receptors and metal-organic frameworks will be covered, with examples of their sensing and storage applications, before moving on to increasingly complex molecular logic-gates and molecular machines. Additionally, this course will go through the concepts of how nature exploits supramolecular chemistry to perform crucial biological events, such as nucleic acid- and protein- depending function and ion transport. For illustrative purposes, case studies will be illustrate and the students encouraged to think creatively whenever possible during the exercises sections. Usually a case-study is presented per lecture.