Supramolecular catalysis: the role of H-bonding interactions in substrate orientation and activation

Hydrogen bonding plays significant roles in various biological processes during substrate orientation and binding and therefore assists in assorted organic transformations. However, replicating the intricate selection of hydrogen bonds, as observed in nature, in synthetic complexes has met with only limited success. Despite this fact, recent times have seen the emergence of several notable examples where hydrogen bonds have been introduced in synthetic complexes. A few such examples have also illustrated the substantial role played by the hydrogen bonds in influencing and often controlling the catalytic outcome. This perspective presents selected examples illustrating the significance of hydrogen bonds offered by the coordination and the organometallic complexes that aid in providing the desired orientation to a substrate adjacent to a catalytic metal center and remarkably assisting in the catalysis.