Supramolecular asymmetric catalysis mediated by crown ethers and related recognition systems

Abstract In the past decades, the combination of supramolecular chemistry and catalysis has pushed forward the emergence of supramolecular catalysis as an intersectant and challenging research field. Supramolecular asymmetric catalysis has especially attracted growing attention attributing to their great advantages in both constructing chiral catalyst libraries and facilitating the improvement of catalytic activity and stereoselectivity, which promoted the development of green and sustainable chemistry. In this review, we summarize the progress on the supramolecular asymmetric catalysis involved crown ethers and their pseudorotaxanes and rotaxanes derivatives. The host–guest chemistry based on crown ethers has been successfully utilized to construct chiral catalysts or to regulate the asymmetric catalysis in both the metal and non-metal catalytic systems. The design and construction of supramolecular chiral catalysts, as well as their applications in catalyzing asymmetric reactions or modulating catalytic activity and stereoselectivity are systemically introduced.