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.
Solar-thermal technology is a promising, environmentally friendly energy harvesting method with a potential role to play in solving the fossil fuel energy crisis.
Nanophysics
Feb 21, 2023
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"Every act of creation," Picasso famously noted, "is first an act of destruction."
Bio & Medicine
Feb 9, 2023
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Graphene-based olfactory sensors that can detect odor molecules based on the design of peptide sequences were recently demonstrated by researchers at Tokyo Tech. The findings indicated that graphene field-effect transistors ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 19, 2023
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Marvel at the tiny nanoscale structures emerging from research labs at Duke University and Arizona State University, and it's easy to imagine you're browsing a catalog of the world's smallest pottery.
Bio & Medicine
Dec 23, 2022
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Structures made out of building blocks can shift their shape and autonomously self-organize to a new configuration. The physicists Saeed Osat and Ramin Golestanian from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization ...
Nanophysics
Dec 13, 2022
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114
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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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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91
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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