Clathrates and intercalates

Abstract Clathrates and intercalates are not any more laboratory curiosities. The specific situation where a given matrix is able to include a large range of guests suggests a variety of experiments useful both in fundamental research and in applied fields: specific chemical reactions, polymerization, stabilization of unstable species, isomer and enantiomer separations, contribution to elucidating reaction mechanisms, etc… The determination of the crystal structure by X-ray analysis often allows the rationalization and sometimes the prediction of above phenomena. Several tens of different clathrate and intercalate matrices are known; among those which are extensively studied, we present the most recent results.