Molecular Self-Assembly

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular self-assembly is a "bottom-up" methodology that provides direct access to nanometer-scale devices and nanostructured materials. This approach is inspired by Nature, where billions of years of evolution resulted in an incredibly diverse array of molecular machines (e.g. enzymes) and superstructures. Researchers in the field of self-assembly explore the fundamental attributes of non-covalent interactions while creating molecular building blocks designed to spontaneously assemble into the defined structures desired for functional materials and devices. The strength and versatility of this approach lies in the variety of accessible synthetic systems coupled with the inherent error correction enabled by the thermodynamic nature of self-assembly. The field of self-assembly is currently a science rather than a technology, with much to be learned about the nature and scope of self-assembly. Simultaneously, there are many things that self-assembly can do that are already revolutionizing science, technology, and even our day-to-day life.

Prof. Dr. Vince Rotello
Guest Editor