Molecular recognition by synthetic multifunctional pores in practice: Are structural studies really helpful?

This account summarizes five years of research devoted to the development of the concept of synthetic multifunctional pores. The objective is to complement a comprehensive graphical summary of molecular recognition with a survey of structural studies on the same topic. The relevance of the latter for research focusing on creation and application of supramolecular functional materials is discussed briefly in a subjective manner.