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Symmetry
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Symmetry and Asymmetry in Nature-Inspired, Bio-Based Materials
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Symmetry and Asymmetry in Nature-Inspired, Bio-Based Materials

A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemistry: Symmetry/Asymmetry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 3657

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zarah Walsh-Korb

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory for Molecular Engineering of Synthetic Systems, Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
Interests: bio-based polymers; heritage conservation; microscopy; adaptable materials; polymeric materials; biomaterials; material characterization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

From spider webs to nautilus shells, and snowflakes to honeycombs, patterns and symmetry in natural systems have provided them with exquisite functionality far beyond what can currently be achieved by most synthetic materials. These structure-function relationships, controlled by precisely defined geometries, give Nature the power to design materials that respond to and counteract stresses within complex environments and maintain structural stability, among other interesting properties.

For decades researchers have attempted to replicate many of the structured, adaptable materials found in the natural world, e.g., bone, wood, muscle, nacre. This was primarily accomplished using synthetically derived polymers, whose materials properties are better understood making manipulation of these systems more achievable. However, with increasing focus on the development of sustainable materials and processes, attention is rapidly shifting towards bio-based polymers. A major issue with the use of bio-based polymers to replicate these natural systems is a lack of understanding of their intrinsic intermolecular interactions that drive their macroscale behaviour and determine their response to various environmental stimuli. Overcoming this impediment is a major step in the widespread employment of bio-based polymers to create truly sustainable adaptable materials, with control of the material properties across all length scales.

It is, therefore, my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this special issue, “Symmetry in Nature-Inspired, Bio-Based Materials”. Full research articles, short communications and comprehensive reviews covering the design of adaptable materials inspired by natural systems with a particular focus on the study of structure and symmetry, as well as intrinsic intra/intermolecular interactions and the impact of environmental stresses in these systems, and how this contributes to the materials properties. Moreover, work focussing on the use of bio-based materials to achieve these functional systems is especially welcomed.

Dr. Zarah Walsh-Korb
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bio-based polymers
  • adaptable materials
  • stimuli-responsive
  • biomimetic
  • smart materials
  • molecular interactions
  • environmental stress
  • biomaterials
  • patterns
  • symmetry

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 756 KiB  
Article
Near-Miss Bi-Homogenous Symmetric Polyhedral Cages
by Bernard Piette and Árpad Lukács
Symmetry 2023, 15(9), 1804; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym15091804 - 21 Sep 2023
Viewed by 998
Abstract
Following the discovery of an artificial protein cage with a paradoxical geometry, we extend the concept of homogeneous symmetric congruent equivalent near-miss polyhedral cages, for which all the faces are equivalent, and define bi-homogeneous symmetric polyhedral cages made of two different types of [...] Read more.
Following the discovery of an artificial protein cage with a paradoxical geometry, we extend the concept of homogeneous symmetric congruent equivalent near-miss polyhedral cages, for which all the faces are equivalent, and define bi-homogeneous symmetric polyhedral cages made of two different types of faces, where all the faces of a given type are equivalent. We parametrise the possible connectivity configurations for such cages, analytically derive p-cages that are regular, and numerically compute near-symmetric p-cages made of polygons with 6 to 18 edges and with deformation not exceeding 10%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Nature-Inspired, Bio-Based Materials)
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19 pages, 3123 KiB  
Article
Digitalizing Structure–Symmetry Relations at the Formation of Endofullerenes in Terms of Information Entropy Formalism
by Denis Sh. Sabirov, Alina A. Tukhbatullina and Igor S. Shepelevich
Symmetry 2022, 14(9), 1800; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym14091800 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1499
Abstract
Information entropy indices are widely used for numerical descriptions of chemical structures, though their applications to the processes are scarce. We have applied our original information entropy approach to filling fullerenes with a guest atom. The approach takes into account both the topology [...] Read more.
Information entropy indices are widely used for numerical descriptions of chemical structures, though their applications to the processes are scarce. We have applied our original information entropy approach to filling fullerenes with a guest atom. The approach takes into account both the topology and geometry of the fullerene structures. We have studied all possible types of such fillings and found that information entropy (ΔhR) and symmetry changes correlate. ΔhR is negative, positive or zero if symmetry is increased, reduced or does not change, respectively. The ΔhR value and structural reorganization entropy, a contribution to ΔhR, are efficient parameters for the digital classification of the fullerenes involved into the filling process. Based on the calculated values, we have shown that, as the symmetry of the fullerene cage becomes higher, the structural changes due to the filling it with a guest atom become larger. The corresponding analytical expressions and numerical data are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Symmetry and Asymmetry in Nature-Inspired, Bio-Based Materials)
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