Host/Guest Chemistry of Organic Onium Compounds—Clathrates, Crystalline Complexes, and Molecular Inclusion Compounds in Aqueous Solution

The importance of organic onium compounds for host/guest interactions in biological processes has been long recognized. In contrast, the versatility of synthetic onium compounds as host molecules in abiotic chemistry has only been investigated in detail for the last few years. Due to their inclusion ability and selectivities, organic ammonium, pyridinium, and phosphonium salts and other organic salts with specific structural features are interesting as clathrate‐forming molecules. The crystal structures of the clathrates afford insight into the conformational adaptability of onium clathrands with limited flexibility to the geometric requirements of the guest molecules. Optically active onium hosts can be used for enantiomeric enrichment. In crystalline tetracyanoquinodimethane(TCNQ) complexes and radical anion salts, the structure of the organic heterocation has a marked effect on the electrical conductivity. Macrocyclic onium compounds of the phane type with “exohydrophilic” and “endolipophilic” cavities are suitable as models of enzymes and biological receptors. They can also be used to transfer aromatic and aliphatic guest molecules selectively into aqueous solution. Catalytic activity (including H/D exchange) has already been obtained with synthetic compounds having large cavities. The further development of such host/guest systems may contribute to the understanding of biological systems and the improvement of technical processes (catalysis in molecular cavities).