Hydrogen-bonding templated assemblies

The use of templates in synthesis is now a well-established approach for the preparation of a wide range of molecular and supramolecular species. Templating agents can organize an assembly of building blocks to achieve a particular linking of atoms. By doing so it is possible to synthesise assemblies with complex structures and topologies that could not be prepared otherwise. This review aims to discuss the importance of hydrogen bonding in templated processes. More specifically, the use of hydrogen bonding templates in the synthesis of macrocycles, cages, interlocked species and for the photodimerisation of olefins is herein presented. Furthermore, the use of hydrogen-bonding templates in dynamic combinatorial libraries and in self-replicating systems is discussed.