What is crystal engineering?

Crystal engineering is the design and synthesis of molecular solid-state structures with desired properties, based on an understanding and exploitation of intermolecular interactions.

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_engineering

Were getting into some advanced chemistry with this question. I will attempt to explain without getting too technical. It is a fairly recent branch of chemistry that began in the 1950s. but more so in the 1970s. Of course it does have to do with the study of the molecular properties of crystals. But to get a bit more technical. It started out as a the study of the crystal properties of cinnamic acid this of course comes form cinnamin and has a ton of organic chemical applications in food additives and industry. The research has broadened to included many aspects of solid-state supramolecular chemistry. Supramolecular chemistry focuses on noncovalent bonding. Nocovalent bonding has to do with molecules that bond under certain situations and become unboned in other situations like many of the complex molecules in the body; such as hemoglobin which attracts oxygen under certain conditions and releases it at other times.

As you can guess crystal engineering has many cutting-edge applications in biochemistry.

First answer by Smartiiz. Last edit by Radon777. Contributor trust: 31 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 10 [recommend question]