Toward a Comprehensive Predictive Model of Stacking Interactions

Stacking interactions, which are roughly parallel face-to-face interactions between planar π-systems, play important roles in chemical and biochemical systems. Our ability to predict and rationally tune the strength of these interactions is important in everything from the design of new organic materials and catalysts to structure-based drug design. I will discuss our decade-long effort to develop quantitative and qualitative models of stacking interactions, with a particular focus on those interactions occurring in drug binding sites.