Reversible Coordinative Bonds in Molecular Recognition

Abstract

Metal complexes with open coordination sites have found
wide use in molecular recognition. They serve as binding
sites in the development of chemosensors to study metalloenzyme
function in bioinorganic chemistry or to direct
supramolecular self-assembly. Lewis-acidic metal complexes can target a large variety of Lewis basic functional groups,
which makes them very suitable for the design of synthetic
receptors. Coordination to metal ions occurs typically with large enthalpies compared to those for hydrogen bond
formation, salt-bridges, or dipole-dipole interactions.