Carbohydrates in Supramolecular Chemistry

Chem Rev. 2016 Feb 24;116(4):1693-752. doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.5b00516. Epub 2015 Dec 24.

Abstract

Carbohydrates are involved in a variety of biological processes. The ability of sugars to form a large number of hydrogen bonds has made them important components for supramolecular chemistry. We discuss recent advances in the use of carbohydrates in supramolecular chemistry and reveal that carbohydrates are useful building blocks for the stabilization of complex architectures. Systems are presented according to the scaffold that supports the glyco-conjugate: organic macrocycles, dendrimers, nanomaterials, and polymers are considered. Glyco-conjugates can form host-guest complexes, and can self-assemble by using carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions and other weak interactions such as π-π interactions. Finally, complex supramolecular architectures based on carbohydrate-protein interactions are discussed.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Carbohydrates / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Molecular Structure

Substances

  • Carbohydrates
  • Macromolecular Substances