Self-assembly as a research area investigates the spontaneous organization of components into ordered structures driven by local interactions and thermodynamic or kinetic principles, without direct external manipulation of each element. It encompasses molecular, nanoscale, and mesoscale systems where noncovalent forces (e.g., van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding) or specific binding interactions encode structural information. Research focuses on understanding design rules, energy landscapes, and defect formation, as well as developing programmable systems (e.g., DNA origami, block copolymers, colloidal crystals) for applications in materials science, nanotechnology, and biotechnology, often linking equilibrium self-assembly with nonequilibrium and hierarchical assembly processes.
In a study recently published in the journal Small, researchers from Nano Life Science Institute (WPI NanoLSI), Kanazawa University, Japan, collaborating with Professor Sarikaya, Seattle, U.S., used frequency modulated atomic ...
Bio & Medicine
Mar 4, 2024
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By attaching molecules together, scientists at Université de Montréal think they've found how molecular systems at the origin of life evolved to create complex self-regulating functions.
Bio & Medicine
Feb 7, 2024
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Scientists have been making nanoparticles out of DNA strands for two decades, manipulating the bonds that maintain DNA's double-helical shape to sculpt self-assembling structures that could someday have jaw-dropping medical ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 6, 2024
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A collaborative research team has fabricated a soccer ball-shaped construction using edge-to-edge assembly of 2D semiconductor materials. The research has been featured on the cover of the online edition of the Angewandte ...
Nanomaterials
Feb 2, 2024
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In a paper published in Science Jan. 18, scientists Chad Mirkin and Sharon Glotzer and their teams at Northwestern University and University of Michigan, respectively, present findings in nanotechnology that could impact ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 18, 2024
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Amino acids, such as tyrosine and tryptophan, are the fundamental building blocks that make up proteins. These biomolecules have different chemical groups on each end and side chain, and so, have the natural ability to form ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 9, 2024
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Peptide nanotubes are tubular-shaped structures formed by the controlled stacking of cyclic peptide components. These hollow biomaterials show inner and outer faces, allowing control over their properties.
Bio & Medicine
Jan 3, 2024
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When it comes to delivering drugs to the body, a major challenge is ensuring that they remain in the area they're treating and continuing to deliver their payload accurately. While major strides have been made in delivering ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 21, 2023
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Recently, a research team led by Prof. Yang Liangbao from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) proposed an innovative strategy for assembling small nanoparticles in a three-phase ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 11, 2023
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Active matter systems feature unique behaviors that include collective self-assembly structures and collective migration. However, the efforts to realize collective entities in spaces without wall-adhered support, in order ...
