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.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new way to guide the self-assembly of a wide range of novel nanoscale structures using simple polymers as starting materials. ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 18, 2022
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365
Colorectal cancer (CRC) has emerged as a frequently diagnosed disease. Advanced CRCs are highly heterogenous and often evade treatments, building drug resistance and reoccurring.
Bio & Medicine
Nov 10, 2022
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62
Chirality is essential for life, which can be observed in biological systems hierarchically from the molecular level to macromolecules and higher ordered nanostructures, such as 3D enzymes and micrometer cell membranes. Chirality ...
Nanophysics
Nov 7, 2022
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90
Researchers from Northwestern University have made a significant advance in the way they produce exotic open-framework superlattices made of hollow metal nanoparticles.
Nanomaterials
Oct 26, 2022
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337
Carrier-free multi-component self-assembled nano-systems have attracted widespread attention owing to their easy preparation, high drug-loading efficiency, and excellent therapeutic efficacy. In an article recently published ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 26, 2022
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90
Scientists from the Department of Materials Science at the University of Tsukuba developed a new method to produce micrometer-scale single crystals in the form of hollow vessels. By drop-casting an ethanol solution onto a ...
Nanophysics
Aug 26, 2022
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108
Researchers have published work in Advanced Materials describing a rapid and simple method to form ordered arrays of gold nanoparticles with plasmonic properties.
Nanomaterials
Aug 18, 2022
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97
Researchers from TU Delft have constructed the smallest flow-driven motors in the world. Inspired by iconic Dutch windmills and biological motor proteins, they created a self-configuring, flow-driven rotor from DNA that converts ...
Bio & Medicine
Aug 4, 2022
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134
The past few decades have witnessed a great amount of research in the field of two-dimensional (2D) materials. As the name implies, these thin film-like materials are composed of layers that are only a few atoms thick. Many ...
Nanomaterials
Jul 21, 2022
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124
A research team led by the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has succeeded for the first time in producing a molecular electric motor using the DNA origami method. The tiny machine made of genetic material self-assembles ...
Bio & Medicine
Jul 21, 2022
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