The s-triazine ring, a remarkable unit to generate supramolecular interactions

Supramolecular chemistry is a topical field of contemporary research whose current tremendous progress is aided by the development of crystal structure determination and theoretical studies, both resulting from considerable advances in computer science. Consequently, supramolecular interactions are more easily appraised, and even the weakest ones, such as anion-pi contacts, can nowadays be investigated. The present paper gives an account on the different types of interactions encountered by the supramolecular chemist, with an emphasis on the remarkable 1,3,5-triazine ring which can experience all of them, namely coordination bonds, hydrogen bonding, electrostatic and charge-transfer attractions, and aromatic-stacking interactions. Indeed, a thorough search in the Cambridge Structure Database clearly shows that this simple 1,3,5-triazine synthon can be involved in all the categories of supramolecular interactions aforementioned. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.