Synthetic host molecule

Synthetic host molecules are **artificially designed compounds** (often macrocyclic or cage-like structures) that serve as hosts in *host–guest chemistry*, binding specific guest molecules through non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic forces, and van der Waals interactions[1][3][5][7]. Common synthetic hosts include cyclodextrins, crown ethers, calixarenes, and cucurbiturils, each possessing a cavity or binding site tailored for selective guest recognition[7][1][3][5]. These molecules are primarily used as **tools in supramolecular chemistry** for molecular recognition, drug delivery, sensing, catalysis, and materials science—rather than as therapeutic targets themselves[1][3][4][5]. Synthetic host molecules can be anchored to biological systems and have been explored for imaging, cell targeting, and delivery applications, but they do not typically act as receptors, enzymes, or drug targets in the conventional pharmacological sense[4][8][10]. Therefore, "synthetic host molecule" is a molecular class or research tool, not a specific therapeutic target or canonical biomolecule[1][9][3].

Other names

Synthetic hostSupramolecular hostArtificial hostSynthetic supramolecular host