Molecular self-assembly is the spontaneous association of molecules under equilibrium conditions into stable, structurally well-defined aggregates joined by noncovalent bonds. Molecular self-assembly is ubiquitous in biological systems and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Understanding self-assembly and the associated noncovalent interactions that connect complementary interacting molecular surfaces in biological aggregates is a central concern in structural biochemistry. Self-assembly is also emerging as a new strategy in chemical synthesis, with the potential of generating nonbiological structures with dimensions of 1 to 10(2) nanometers (with molecular weights of 10(4) to 10(10) daltons). Structures in the upper part of this range of sizes are presently inaccessible through chemical synthesis, and the ability to prepare them would open a route to structures comparable in size (and perhaps complementary in function) to those that can be prepared by microlithography and other techniques of microfabrication.

Molecular self-assembly and nanochemistry: A chemical strategy for the synthesis of nanostructures

This work received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. REGPOT-CT2012-316331-POLARIS. The work was also funded by FEDER through the Competitive Factors Operational Program (COMPETE) and by National funds through the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) in the scope of the projects PTDC/FIS/115048/2009 and PTDC/CTM-BIO/1814/2012. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr. Luca Gasperini (3B's Research Group, University of Minho, Portugal) for his help with the figures.

Molecular Interactions Driving the Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Multilayers

Layer-by-layer assembly: from conventional to unconventional methods

Translatable High Drug Loading Drug Delivery Systems Based on Biocompatible Polymer Nanocarriers

P4VPy(DBSA)x complexes (x = 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, or 1.00 DBSA/P4VPy repeat units) are able to form inclusion complexes with three cyclodextrins (CDs). The complexes were characterized by XRD, XPS, 13C CP/MAS NMR, 1H NMR, DSC, and TGA. A columnar structure with poor order is established in all the inclusion complexes. XPS studies show that the interaction between DBSA and P4VPy is affected by inclusion complexation when the DBSA content is high (x ≥ 0.5), resulting in the expulsion of some DBSA ions from the polymer chain and reprotonation. TGA shows that the initial decomposition temperatures of the inclusion complexes are lower than those of the CDs and the pristine complexes, a result different from that of the linear chain polymer−cyclodextrin ICs. DSC measurements indicate that the inclusion of the side chains within CDs makes the P4VPy main chain much stiffer, thereby raising the glass transition temperature. 1H NMR measurements also suggest that interactions between CDs and the side chains of P4VPy(DBS...

Inclusion Complexes of Poly(4-vinylpyridine)−Dodecylbenezenesulfonic Acid Complex and Cyclodextrins

Supermolecular multilayers with high levels of compositional and structural complexities have been fabricated with an example that involves formation of stable host–guest complexes from bolaamphiphiles and cyclodextrins, followed by sequential build-up of multilayered films by these complexes in combination with anionic polystyrene sulfonate polymer chains.

In Tae Kim

Papers

Multilayered supermolecular structures self-assembled from polyelectrolytes and cyclodextrin host–guest complexes