Host-guest chemistry lends itself to promising technological applications in various fields, including separation science, the development of sensors, drug delivery and catalysis. A detailed knowledge of the non-covalent forces that are established between host and guest is required for the design of highly specific and selective receptors towards the target molecule. To this end, supramolecular aggregates obtained by self-assembly of simple building blocks, are synthesized and characterized in the solid phase by X-ray diffraction techniques.

Currently, the following research topics are active:

-          Self-assembly of calixarenes in dimeric capsules

-          Enatioselective recognition of chiral guests by cavitands.

-          Development of artificial receptors for biologically active molecules (α-amino acids and proteins).

-          Development of supramolecular polymers.

Host–Guest Driven Self-Assembly of Linear and Star Supramolecular Polymers Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2008, 47, 4504	Nanoporous Crystals of Calixarene/Porphyrin Supramolecular Complex Functionalized by Diffusion and Coordination of Metal Ions JACS 2009, 131, 2487			Highly Selective Chemical Vapor Sensing by Molecular Recognition: Specific Detection of C1–C4 Alcohols with a Fluorescent Phosphonate Cavitand Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 4654