Synthesis and self-assembly of the "tennis ball" dimer and subsequent encapsulation of methane: An advanced organic chemistry laboratory experiment

In nature, noncovalent interactions govern the folding and assembly of proteins and nucleic acids, and nearly every biological recognition event. Noncovalent interactions also govern the supramolecular organization utilized in the creation of liquid crystalline displays (LCDs) and other modern electronic devices. This laboratory demonstrates to undergraduates in a simple and accessible way the use of noncovalent interactions in the creation of supramolecular organization.