oa Editorial [Hot topic: Cyclodextrin and Catalysis (Guest Editor: Eric Monflier)]

Cyclodextrins have been used in so many fields that we will not even attempt to number them. Their success originates from their ability to entirely or partly include hydrophobic molecules in their cavity, allowing the solubilisation of various organic substrates in water. Of special interest is the use of cyclodextrins in the field of catalysis. Indeed, they show a remarkable ability to solve mass transfer problems in biphasic systems and to generate catalytically active homogeneous species or materials. The ever-growing number of papers dealing with this topic confirms the healthiness of cyclodextrin-based catalytic systems and demonstrates that cyclodextrins can greatly contribute to the development of greener catalytic processes. This edition of Current Organic Chemistry contains nine quite contrasting papers, each of which contains advanced insights into different aspects of catalysis using cyclodextrins. Together these contributions provide a well-rounded sampling of current research in the important field of cyclodextrin and catalysis.