ABSTRACT
Molecular sensor design is an active ˆeld of supramolecular chemistry.1 Actually, many of the basic concepts in this discipline have been derived from early selectivebinding studies of alkali metal cations by natural and synthetic macrocyclic ligands (crown ethers and cryptands).2 Sensing applications of supramolecular chemistry rely on exploiting the forces involved in the formation of noncovalent host-guest complexes; the more complementary the binding sites of the host to those of the guest, the higher the binding energy. Molecular recognition is still a challenging
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 11 Cation Sensing ......................................................................................................... 12
Alkali and Alkaline Earth Cation Targets ............................................................ 13 Copper and Zinc Sensing .................................................................................... 15 Sensing Other Metal Ions .................................................................................... 19 Rare Earth-Metal Ion Sensing .............................................................................24
Anion Sensing ..........................................................................................................26 Anion Sensing Devices .......................................................................................29 Chromogenic and Fluorogenic Chemosensors....................................................29
