Molecular Recognition Mediated by Hydrogen Bonding in Aqueous Media

Hydrogen bonding is a key governing force in molecular recognition, notably in biological systems. While it has been studied and exploited by supramolecular chemists for many years, most of this work has been conducted in organic solvents. Investigations in water, the biological solvent, have proceeded more slowly, largely because the interaction is weakened by solvation and less easy to detect. Recently it has become appreciated that the problems should be addressed, and work towards the deployment of H-bonding in water has accelerated. This Minireview discusses a range of synthetic receptors designed to bind organic molecules in aqueous media by combining hydrogen bonding with hydrophobic interactions. Some of these systems are capable of high affinities and selectivities, raising the hope of biomedical applications in the near future.