Newer optical-based molecular devices from older coordination chemistry

Abstract

This short review illustrates how the wealth of receptors and ligands available within coordination/supramolecular chemistry can serve as a launch-pad for producing information-handling optical-based molecular devices of various kinds: sensors, assay reagents, logic gates and even small-scale number processors. Such a diverse range of information-handlers allows the addressing of problems in different areas from a common viewpoint. The common viewpoint is strengthened further when we find that the design principles are quite small in number.