Crystal engineering

Crystal engineering studies the design and synthesis of solid-state structures with desired properties through deliberate control of intermolecular interactions. It is an interdisciplinary academic field, bridging solid-state and supramolecular chemistry.[1]

The main engineering strategies currently in use are hydrogen- and halogen bonding and coordination bonding.[2] These may be understood with key concepts such as the supramolecular synthon and the secondary building unit.[3]

An example of crystal engineering using hydrogen bonding reported by Wuest and coworkers in J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2007, 4306–4322.
  1. ^ Braga, D.; Desiraju, Gautam R.; Miller, Joel S.; Orpen, A. Guy; Price, Sarah (Sally) L.; et al. (2002), "Innovation in Crystal Engineering", CrystEngComm, 4 (83): 500–509, doi:10.1039/b207466b
  2. ^ Metrangolo, P.; Resnati, Giuseppe; Pilati, Tullio; Liantonio, Rosalba; Meyer, Franck; et al. (2007), "Engineering Functional Materials by Halogen Bonding", J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem., 45 (1): 1–14, Bibcode:2007JPoSA..45....1M, doi:10.1002/pola.21725
  3. ^ G. R. Desiraju, Crystal Engineering: A Holistic View, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2007, 46, 8342–8356.