Bile acid scaffolds in supramolecular chemistry: the interplay of design and synthesis

Since early work in the 1980s, the bile acids have become well established as building blocks for supramolecular chemistry. The author's laboratory has specialised in converting cholic acid, the archetypal bile acid, into macrocyclic and acyclic receptors for anions and carbohydrates. This review highlights the synthetic aspects of this work, especially the use of modern synthetic methodology to perform less obvious structural transformations.