Cryptophane

Cryptophanes are a class of organic supramolecular compounds studied and synthesized primarily for molecular encapsulation and recognition.

One possible noteworthy application of cryptophanes is encapsulation and storage of hydrogen gas for potential use in fuel cell automobiles.

Cryptophanes can also serve as containers in which organic chemists can carry out reactions that would otherwise be difficult to run under normal conditions.

Due to their unique molecular recognition properties, cryptophanes also hold great promise as a potentially new way to study the binding of organic molecules with substrates, particularly as pertaining to biological and biochemical applications.

This general scheme offers a variety of choices (Y, R1, R2, and symmetry type) by which the shape, volume and chemical properties of the generally hydrophobic pocket inside the cage can be modified, making cryptophanes suitable for encapsulating many types of small molecules and even chemical reactions.