Thinking Topologically about Photo Chemistry in Restricted Spaces

摘要

Topological geometry has been described as a qualitative but precise geometrybecause it is precise in defining the topological features of a geometric form. Geometry is at the heart of chemical thinking, so that it is natural to ask whether topological geometry can be of use to chemists. In the authors' view, organic chemistry has fluorished because organic chemists have traditionally thought topologically, i.e., qualitatively but precisely. In this account, we present a description of topological methods in terms of that should appeal to chemists and that can be employed to analyze problems involving microheterogeneous systems and restricted reaction spaces. Some examples will be given of how topology works for geometric forms. Then examples that apply topological thinking to the supramolecular level of chemical analysis will be given.