Supramolecular chemistry is based on weak interactions between atoms within a molecule or molecules themselves to form a molecular organization. The goal is to understand or to construct buildings of nanometer size. The idea is to use molecular bricks, which when mixed in solution under controlled conditions, s'autoassemblent buildings to provide more complex. The study of non-covalent interactions is the basis for the understanding of biological systems such as the relationship between function and structure.
The basis of supramolecular chemistry are weak interactions:
* Van der Waals (0.1 to 1 kcal / mol): non-directional.
* The hydrogen bond (1 to 10 kcal / mol): directional.
* Aromatic (π-stacking, cation-π, T-stacking): recovery of p orbitals of aromatic rings between themselves or with cations, hydrogen acids ...
* Coulombiennes (ion / ion, ion / dipole), dipole (dipole / dipole), magnetising (ion / molecule polarized) (15 to 50 kcal / mol): non-directional.
* Coordination metal / ligand (50 to 80 kcal / mol): directional.
* Hydrophobic effect.
Recherches
My principal interests lie in the field of supramolecular chemistry and its application in organometallic catalysis, cristals, interfaces, etc. I have been working with non-ionic surfactants, cyclodextrins, calixarenes, crown-ethers, cucurbiturils and azolium ionic liquid salts. The applications are various : catalysis (Tsuji-Trost, hydrogenation and hydroformylation reactions), organo-catalysis (acyl transfer, etc), crystalline structures, etc. The research consists more specifically, in highlighting the supramolecular assemblies using various analytical techniques (NMR, X-Rays diffraction, mechanisms, etc.).