Supramolecular Chemistry: Computer-Assisted Instruction in Undergraduate and Graduate Chemistry Courses

An interactive electronic textbook (SC-WEB) based on Supramolecular Chemistry, by J.-M. Lehn, is described. It includes the text, which has been specially adapted for teaching, and data on the structures of molecules and supermolecules. The list includes about 100 structures retrieved from the Cambridge Structural Database (version 1997) as well as those obtained from molecular dynamics simulations in solution. The structures can be retrieved either from the text or, independently, from the list.SC-WEB uses two types of programs: the first one reads files in HTML format (Word97, Netscape, or Internet Explorer), and WebLab Viewer Lite is used for visualizing and manipulating the structures. It can run on any PC (W95/NT4.0) computer.The application of SC-WEB for a course in supramolecular chemistry, as well as in other chemical courses, is discussed. A few examples related to the binding of alkali cations by organic and inorganic receptors, and of R-NH3+ cations by organic receptors, are considered in more detail.