198 Topics in Current Chemistry Editorial Board: A. de Meijere KN ...

VIII preface
tion at an amazing level of precision. Taking up the words of one of the authors
(G. R. Desiraju), crystals and solids constitute one end of the supramolecular
continuum and may be viewed as "hard" supermolecules in contrast to the
"softer" supramolecular aggregates which exist in solution. Consequently,
supramolecular chemistry today encompasses the study of molecular crystals
with all the applications and ramifications that such a study implies in the field
of solid-state chemistry, crystal-engineering and materials science both from
organic and inorganic viewpoints.
Many of the prerequisites for such an improved understanding of solid-state
supramolecular chemistry but being focused on organic or essentially organic
solids and their potential design are discussed in the present book, beginning in
the contribution of J. P. Glusker (Chapter 1) in which she considers the directional
aspects ofintermolecular interactions and the directional preferences of binding
of functional groups. In Chapter 2, A. Nangia and G. R. Desiraju attempt to show
the importance of pattern recognition using supramolecular synthons in organic
crystal-engineering and referring also to the implications of such ideas in
related areas. R. E. Mel~ndez and A. D. Hamilton, in Chapter 3, take up this topic
in a more specific way and present advances in this field, directing their focus on
the design of organic solid structures based on the hydrogen-bonded tape,
ribbon and sheet motifs involving complementary intermolecular interactions.
There is much current interest in organic hosts, whose guest binding properties
are reminescent of traditional inorganic zeolites but are composed of organic
and metal-ion building blocks to form controlled solid network structures by
making use of directional interactions such as hydrogen bonding and coordina-
tion. The present stage of these organic zeolite analogs and prospects associated
therewith are discussed from both static and dynamic viewpoints in Chapter 4
by Y. Aoyama. In the closing report of M. R. Caira (Chapter 5), a summary of the
thermodynamic, kinetic and structural considerations of crystalline poly-
morphism which is encountered in all areas of research involving organic solid
substances, giving rise to unique difficulties in solid materials design with facing
of current facts, is presented.
I hope that this book will stimulate new work on the design of organic solids
which is a truly promising topic relating to many important areas of research
and industry. To conclude these words of introduction, I wish to express my
heartfelt appreciation to all the contributors who have made this book possible.
Edwin Weber Freiberg, July 1998