Intermolecular n→π* Interactions in Supramolecular Chemistry and Catalysis

The n→π* interactions describing attractive force between lone pairs (lps) of nucleophile and carbonyl or polarized unsaturated bonds have recently attracted growing attentions in various disciplines. So far, such non-covalent driving force are mainly concentrated to intramolecular systems. Intermolecular n→π* interactions in principle could produce fascinated supramolecular systems or facilitate organic reactions, however, they remain largely underexplored due to the very weak energy of individual interaction. This review attempts to give an overview of the challenging intermolecular n→π* interactions, much efforts emphasize the supramolecular systems, catalytic processes and spectroscopic measurements.