Multivalency

8Multivalent Molecular Recognition on the Surface of Bilayer Vesicles

Jens Voskuhl^1,*, Ulrike Kauscher^2,3,*, and Bart Jan Ravoo²

¹ Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Duisburg‐Essen, Universitätsstrasse 7, 45117, Essen, Germany

² Organic Chemistry Institute, Westfälische Wilhelms‐Universität Münster, Corrensstrasse 40, 48149, Münster, Germany

³ Present address: Department of Materials and Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Rd, SW7 2AZ London, UK

8.1 Introduction

The current state of the art of supramolecular chemistry and self‐assembly of soft matter includes the mimicking of biological processes such as enzyme catalysis, dynamic self‐assembly, and molecular recognition. Nature is an important source of inspiration since it shows the chemist how to use weak and non‐covalent interactions to build complex supramolecular structures such as proteins, virus capsids and membranes from simple components such as amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleotides. Since each of these structures are held together by non‐covalent interactions, they are inherently dynamic and respond to even small changes in their environment. Especially membranes are of high interest since these complex and dynamic structures play a crucial role in biology and medicine. Membranes separate the “outside” and the “inside” of every living cell, membranes mediate the transfer of small and large molecules between organelles, and membranes are crucial in neurotransmission. ...