Cucurbit[n]urils for Supramolecular Catalysis

The control over chemical reactivity and selectivity are always pursued. Using non-covalent interactions to achieve efficient and selective catalysis is an essential goal of supramolecular catalysis. Supramolecular catalysis based on cucurbit[n]urils (CB[n]s) possesses distinct characteristics for the unique structure of CB[n]s. CB[n]s are a family of pumpkin-shaped host molecules with various molecular sizes, rigid structures, electronegative portals and wealthy host-guest chemistry. Herein, we summarize the three major mechanisms of CB[n]s based supramolecular catalysis. Owing to the structural properties of CB[n]s, CB[n]s can serve as nanoreactors and steric hindrance to modulate the reactivity of substrates. They can also catalyze the reactions by modulating the reactivity of ionized intermediates. Recent progresses on the CB[n]s based supramolecular catalysis are introduced in this Minireview and the future development in this field is discussed. It is anticipated that this review provides insights into the mechanism of CB[n]s based supramolecular catalysis and may help scientists find new opportunities in this field.