ABSTRACT
Folding or conformation of biomolecules is largely guided by their sequence and function; these also control their recognition feature. Folding has a dened directionality and pattern. However, when molecules have no function, their folding does not follow any dened path. Scientists worldwide are trying to emulate the pattern of protein folding in chemical macromolecules that have no dened function; however, so far, their success has been limited. us, the molecular recognition in such macromolecules does not follow any specic rules. In 1955, two years aer the discovery of the DNA double helix, Giulio Natta proposed that highly isotactic polypropylene synthesized by the Ziegler-Natta catalyst adopts a helical conformation in the crystalline state. is was the beginning of the concept of synthetic foldamers. Synthetic foldamers are dened as polymers that possess the ability to adopt compact conformation. is is a challenge, because unlike proteins, synthetic polymers favor the path of entropy-driven random coil formation (Box 5.1).
