Cucurbit[n] urils (CB[n] s), as a kind of rapidly developing supramolecular hosts, have been attracting more and more attentions. With their rigid structures, hydrophobic cavities and electronegative carbonyl groups on the portals, CB[n] s show their unique recognition properties——high selectivity and high binding affinity toward organic cations. In the past decade, CB[n] s have been utilized not only in basic recognition research but also in the construction of complicated three-dimensional materials and even in drug delivery systems. Besides, CB[n] s have been creatively used to control the reaction process and have obtained numerous successes. Herein, this review mainly describes the use of cucurbiturils as supramolecular nanoreactors/catalysts to accelerate or control the reaction process in thermal reactions as well as photoreactions. Moreover, the inhibition effect on guest's activity caused by the encapsulation inside cucurbiturils is also discussed.

Contents
1 Introduction
2 CB[n]s used as supramolecular nanoreactors/catalysts in thermal reactions
2.1 [3+2] cycloaddition reactions
2.2 Solvolysis reactions
2.3 Oxidation reactions
2.4 Other thermal reactions
3 [n]s used as supramolecular nanoreactors/catalysts in photoreactions
3.1 [2+2] cycloaddition reactions
3.2 [4+4] cycloaddition reactions
3.3 Other photoreactions
4 CB[n]s used as inhibiting agents
4.1 Protective agents
4.2 Toxicity inhibitors
4.3 Reaction inhibitors
5 Conclusion