Chemistry
Supramolecular Host-Guest Chemistry of Crown Ethers and Cryptands
Quick fact
The 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Charles Pedersen, Donald Cram, and Jean-Marie Lehn for their development of crown ethers and cryptands, which laid the foundation for supramolecular chemistry—the chemistry of non-covalent interactions.
Why this is interesting
You've seen how a crown ether can selectively bind a salt like potassium, but have you ever wondered how a simple ring can 'choose' one ion over another? The secret lies in a 'right-fit' lock-and-key mechanism at the molecular level.