Supramolecular control on reactivity and selectivity inside the confined space of H-bonded hexameric capsules

The confinement of substrates inside the cavity of selfassembled capsules makes it possible to effectively catalyze organic reactions in a way that is analogous to how enzymes work in biological systems. Due to steric constraints, solvent exclusion, intermediates stabilization, and conformational control of substrates, chemical reactions taking place in a confined space may exhibit unique processes. As a result, the fundamental rules of organic reactivity are frequently broken. The hexameric capsule CR, an intriguing supramolecular assembly formed by six resorcinarene 1 macrocycles and eight water molecules, is the subject of this review. This assembly has proven to be effective at catalyzing several chemical reactions by controlling reactivity and selectivity in its confined space.