Functionalized Cyclodextrins as First and Second Coordination Sphere Ligands for Aqueous Organometallic Catalysis

Supramolecular catalysis now forms a viable and challenging interdisciplinary topic that drives chemists to design new ligands and their metal complexes. Functionalized cyclodextrins (CDs) have attracted particular attention in this respect because of their molecular recognition and metal coordination ability. They can act both as first-coordination-sphere ligands through coordination of a phosphanyl or amino group onto the metal and as second-coordination-sphere ligands because of the inclusion of a guest molecule (substrate or ligand) inside their cavity. These combined features make functionalized CDs very special objects. The present review seeks to address the scope of these supramolecular entities as ligands for the elaboration of novel organometallic complexes for aqueous catalysis.