Carbohydrate Recognition through Noncovalent Interactions: A Challenge for Biomimetic and Supramolecular Chemistry.

Carbohydrates are not always as "sticky" as one might expect. Even in organic solvents they are difficult targets for the supramolecular chemist, due to their complex, three-dimensional structures. In their natural environment (water) they are especially elusive, presenting challenges which will occupy synthetic and theoretical chemists for some time to come. The complex of an octaamide supramolecular receptor with beta-D-glucopyranose, which binds through apolar and polar contacts, is shown.