Speaker：Prof. Werner Nau（Constructor University）

Time：June 6th, 2025 at 9:00 AM

Location: C3-c204, GuangzhouInternational Campus,SCUT

Abstract:

Cucurbiturils are macrocyclic host molecules or so-called molecular container compounds. This means that these molecules have an inner cavity which is sufficiently large to encapsulate in their interior smaller guest molecules. They have taken over a leading position in the development of supramolecular chemistry, because they provide a playground for the detailed investigation of intermolecular interactions. Their inner cavity has even been considered by Cram as a “new phase of matter”. Of particular interest are water-soluble macrocycles such as cucurbiturils because the resulting host-guest complexes are very tight due to the hydrophobic effect, and because the reactions inside their cavities are biomimetic in a stricter sense. We will provide an overview of our research in the area of molecular container compounds, with a focus on cucurbiturils as one of the most fascinating representatives.

Biography: 

Prof. Werner Nau is Vice-President, and Head of Academic Operations of Constructor university. Prof. Nau is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and a member of several academic organizations, including the German Chemical Society (GDCh) and the American Chemical Society (ACS). He has more than 300 publications, including Science, Nature chemistry, JACS, and Angew, with citation over 20000. He leads an international research group focuses on the interphase between physical-organic chemistry and supramolecular chemistry, as well as the management of supramolecular assemblies for applications in sensing, catalysis, pharmaceutical industry, and biological systems.