Self-assembly articles within Nature Communications

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  • Article
    | Open Access

    The activation of ethers by weak interactions in supramolecular catalysis remains challenging. Here, the authors describe an activation mode based on dual Se···π and Se···O bonding, that can activate benzylic as well as allylic ether C-O σ-bonds to achieve cyclization, coupling and elimination reactions.

    • Zhiguo Zhao
    • , Yuanling Pang
    •  & Yao Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymersomes, as analogues of liposomes, have interesting physical and chemical properties, but have not yet been translated into clinical or industrial applications. Here, the authors report the development of a continuous flow process for the production of polymersomes at scale.

    • Chin Ken Wong
    • , Rebecca Y. Lai
    •  & Martina H. Stenzel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The use of macrocycles to develop charge-transfer complexes in the solid state was recently demonstrated. Here, the authors develop an on-off type vapochromic system toward positional bromoalkane isomers by the reassembly and disassembly of charge-transfer complexes between a pillar[5]arene and electron-deficient aromatic guests in the solid state.

    • Jia-Rui Wu
    • , Gengxin Wu
    •  & Ying-Wei Yang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Nanomotor chassis constructed from biological precursors and powered by biocatalytic transformations can offer important applications in the future. Here, the authors prepare short-peptide-based cross β amyloid nanomotors which can host dedicated enzymes with orthogonal substrates for motility and navigation.

    • Chandranath Ghosh
    • , Souvik Ghosh
    •  & Dibyendu Das

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, the authors report that Histidine residues play a critical role in modulating amyloid-like assembly and building active sites for Fmoc–F–F and Aβ aggregates. Aβ1-42 filaments were found to perform peroxidase-like activity to enhance oxidative stress, which might also be ascribed to the interaction mode of His and F-F.

    • Ye Yuan
    • , Lei Chen
    •  & Lizeng Gao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Limited delivery of therapeutic cells to diseased tissue hampers the effective application of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). Here, authors modify the cell surface with polyvalent antibodies using DNA-templated assembly, and show that polyvalent interactions can be used to improve the targeting efficiency of MSCs.

    • Tenghui Ye
    • , Xi Liu
    •  & Peng Shi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Embolization is one of the most promising strategies for clinical disease treatments, however, the existing embolic materials normally have poor embolization effectiveness. Here, the authors report Janus particle-engineered structural lipiodol droplets by programming the self-assembly of Janus particles at the lipiodol-water interface to achieve highly efficient renal embolization.

    • Sijian Tao
    • , Bingquan Lin
    •  & Jun-Bing Fan

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The introduction of metal sites into polyoxometalates is key for tuning their structure and reactivity but the complex mechanisms which govern metal functionalization of polyoxometalates are still poorly understood. Here, the authors report a coupled set of light-dependent and light-independent reaction equilibria controlling the mono- and di- metal-functionalization of a prototype molecular vanadium oxide cluster

    • Stefan Repp
    • , Moritz Remmers
    •  & Carsten Streb

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Pyroptosis and ferroptosis are typically induced by metal species or chemotherapeutic drugs, and able to boost a robust antitumor immunity, however their therapeutic uses have been hindered by the risks arising from metal species or chemotherapeutic drugs. Here the authors report a pyroptosis and ferroptosis dual-inducer based on non-metallic AIEgen-based covalent organic frameworks.

    • Liang Zhang
    • , An Song
    •  & Zhi-Jun Sun

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Thermodynamics predicts equilibrium crystal structures and kinetics discover the pathway to form them. The authors investigate the interplay of thermodynamics and kinetics in the formation of colloidal clusters and reveal a bifurcation at an early stage of the crystallization process.

    • Chrameh Fru Mbah
    • , Junwei Wang
    •  & Michael Engel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The dynamic regulation of supramolecular chirality in non-equilibrium systems can provide valuable insights into molecular self-assembly in living systems. Here, the authors demonstrate the use of chemical fuels for regulating self-assembly pathway, which thereby controls the supramolecular chirality of a non-equilibrium assembled system.

    • Jingjing Li
    • , Yihan Cui
    •  & Chun-Sen Liu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Porous crystals with molecular recognition sites in the inner pores are promising for achieving functional control, where the local binding of effectors triggers a distortion which propagates throughout the structure. Here the authors report that the structure of a porous molecular crystal can be allosterically controlled by local adsorption of effectors within low-symmetry nanochannels with multiple molecular recognition sites.

    • Ryunosuke Hayashi
    • , Shohei Tashiro
    •  & Mitsuhiko Shionoya

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Self-assembly in the formation of two dimensional materials typically relies upon strong, directional interactions instead of covalent bonds but control over less directional forces remains challenging. Here, the authors show the process of shape-assisted self-assembly to be consistent across a range of derivatives that highlights the restriction of rotational motion.

    • Joseph F. Woods
    • , Lucía Gallego
    •  & Michel Rickhaus

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The behaviour of ions solvated in water is highly ion-specific. Introducing a length scale that captures the interplay between ion-water and inter-water interactions, along with considering the bond-orientational order of the hydration shell, provides an explanation for the ion-specific effects observed in salt solutions.

    • Rui Shi
    • , Anthony J. Cooper
    •  & Hajime Tanaka

  • Article
    | Open Access

    It is generally accepted that non-equilibrium conditions would have been necessary for the formation of primitive metabolic structures, but the focus has mostly been on externally imposed non-equilibrium conditions. Here, the authors show that catalytically active particles like enzymes participating in a metabolic cycle can spontaneously self-organize into dynamically structured condensates composed of active mixtures, by employing non-reciprocal interactions.

    • Vincent Ouazan-Reboul
    • , Jaime Agudo-Canalejo
    •  & Ramin Golestanian

  • Article
    | Open Access

    DNA-programmed colloidal assembly of macroscopic crystals for photonic applications remains elusive. Here, the authors use insights from studies of nucleation and seeded growth to develop a two-step method for assembling macroscopic photonic crystals.

    • Alexander Hensley
    • , Thomas E. Videbæk
    •  & W. Benjamin Rogers

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The de novo synthesis of enzyme-like active sites remains a challenge, due to the difficulties in imitating the spatial arrangement of the functional groups. Here, the authors report the construction of a supramolecular mimetic enzyme possessing catechol oxidase-like copper-cluster active sites.

    • Shichao Xu
    • , Haifeng Wu
    •  & Zhen-Gang Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Metal-free versions of azide–alkyne cycloadditions could find widespread applications in biomedical contexts. Here, the authors report an assembly-driven, regioselective azide–alkyne cycloaddition.

    • Qiaochu Jiang
    • , Wenjun Zhan
    •  & Gaolin Liang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The applications of organic small-molecule contrast agents for multispectral optoacoustic imaging have been restrained by several challenges including relatively low extinction coefficient, poor water solubility and weak optoacoustic performance. Here, the authors address these limitations by constructing water-dispersible supramolecular optoacoustic assemblies based on cucurbit[8]uril.

    • Yinglong Wu
    • , Lihe Sun
    •  & Yanli Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Accurate prediction of peptidic hydrogels could prove useful for diverse biomedical applications. Here, the authors develop a “human-in-the-loop” approach that integrates coarse-grained molecular dynamics, machine learning, and experimentation to design natural peptide hydrogels.

    • Tengyan Xu
    • , Jiaqi Wang
    •  & Huaimin Wang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Controlling the number of molecular switches and their relative positioning within porous materials is critical to their functionality and properties. Here the authors systematically control the number of spiropyran units in a covalent organic framework using a mixed-linker synthetic strategy which resulted in one photoresponsive unit per pore.

    • Gobinda Das
    • , Thirumurugan Prakasam
    •  & Ali Trabolsi

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Polymeric vesicles are promising candidates for use in a range of applications including drug delivery and cell mimics, however, control over the shape is still a challenge. Here, the authors report control over local curvature formation by addition of salt ions and stimuli responsive polymer to modulate its interaction with polymeric membrane.

    • Jiawei Sun
    • , Sandra Kleuskens
    •  & Daniela A. Wilson

  • Article
    | Open Access

    In this work, the authors report the appearance of vacuoles within the droplets of an enzyme-driven biomolecular liquid. The mechanisms of these behaviors are quantitatively explained with a diffusive capture model of enzyme dynamics.

    • Omar A. Saleh
    • , Sam Wilken
    •  & Tim Liedl

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The axial helical structure of supramolecular and covalent polymers provides communication mechanisms among monomer repeating units. Here, the authors present multi-helical materials comprising five axial motifs that combine information from both metallosupramolecular and covalent helical polymers

    • Francisco Rey- Tarrío
    • , Emilio Quiñoá
    •  & Félix Freire

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Preparation of porous liquids are fluids with the permanent porosity still requires complicated and tedious use of porous hosts and bulky liquids. Here, the authors develop a facile method to produce a porous metal-organic cage liquid by self-assembly of long polyethylene glycolimidazolium chain functional linkers, calixarene molecules and Zn ions.

    • Chang He
    • , Yu-Huang Zou
    •  & Yuan-Biao Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Chemical fuel-driven supramolecular systems have been developed showing out of-equilibrium functions such as transient gelation and oscillations but these systems suffer from undesired waste accumulation and they function only in open systems. Here, the authors we report non-equilibrium supramolecular polymerizations in a closed system, which is built by viologens and pyranine in the presence of hydrazine hydrate.

    • Xianhua Lang
    • , Yingjie Huang
    •  & Hui Zhao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Organic molecules and materials are generally insensitive or weakly sensitive to magnetic fields due to their small diamagnetic force. Here, the authors show a strategy to amplify the magnetic responsiveness of self-assembled peptide nanostructures by synergistically combining the concepts of perfect α-helix and rod-coil supramolecular building blocks

    • You-jin Jung
    • , Hyoseok Kim
    •  & Yong-beom Lim

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Achieving a form of coupling between molecular content, chemical reactions, and chassis in synthetic compartments represents a key step to the assembly of evolvable protocells but remains challenging. Here, the authors design coacervate droplets that promote non-enzymatic oligonucleotide polymerization and that restructure as a result of the reaction dynamics.

    • Tommaso P. Fraccia
    •  & Nicolas Martin

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Molecular biology achieves control over complex reaction networks by means of molecular systems that translate a chemical input into an orthogonal chemical output but the application of dynamic foldamers has been limited by the restriction to stereochemical changes that produce spectroscopic signals. Here, the authors present an artificial molecular translation device that converts a chemical input into an unrelated chemical output.

    • David P. Tilly
    • , Jean-Paul Heeb
    •  & Jonathan Clayden

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Photosensitizers (PS) with nano- or micro-sized pore provide a great promise in the conversion of light energy into chemical fuel but pore deformation and blocking often decreases the catalytic efficiency. Here, the authors prepare an ordered porous PSs by cross-linking hierarchical porous assemblies of hydrogen donating PSs and functionalized acceptors.

    • Yajun Fang
    • , Yuntian Yang
    •  & Zhegang Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Low rate and limited duration are major challenges in photobiological hydrogen production. Here, the authors coat algal cells with a concentrically arranged shell comprising an ultra-thin Fe(III)-doped polypyrrole inner layer and outer exoskeleton of CaCO3, and achieve sustainable H2 production for over 200 days.

    • Zhijun Xu
    • , Jiarui Qi
    •  & Xin Huang

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Liquid-liquid phase separation offer a strategy for targeting biomaterial scaffolds, but controlling assembly to form functional materials is challenging. Here, the authors transform native proteins into amyloid fibres for assembly, and use the materials as a gastric ulcer protective agent.

    • Mohammad Peydayesh
    • , Sabrina Kistler
    •  & Raffaele Mezzenga

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Crowding effects have long been established as powerful guiding forces in natural assembly processes. Here the authors report a bioinspired approach translating this phenomenon to artificial supramolecular polymers.

    • Nils Bäumer
    • , Eduardo Castellanos
    •  & Gustavo Fernández

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Synthetic framework materials are appealing candidates for the fabrication of separation membranes but realizing precise control of aperture distribution and separation threshold remains challenging. Here, the authors show a two-dimensional processible supramolecular framework which can be used in the fabrication of separation membranes by integrating directional organic host-guest motifs and inorganic functional polyanionic clusters.

    • Guohua Zhang
    • , Xinyue Li
    •  & Lixin Wu

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Biomolecular condensates with internal structure allow cells to further organise their processes. In this work the authors investigate how condensates can obtain an internal structure with droplets of dilute phase inside via kinetic, rather than purely thermodynamic driving forces.

    • Nadia A. Erkamp
    • , Tomas Sneideris
    •  & Tuomas P. J. Knowles

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Bio-inspired assembly of mesoscale materials presents a unique challenge due to complex machinery or labor-intensive processing involved in engineering. Barber et al. report chiral filaments self-assembled into free-standing, anisotropic bundles through pre-programmed, light-mediated structural deformations.

    • Dylan M. Barber
    • , Todd Emrick
    •  & Alfred J. Crosby

  • Article
    | Open Access

    The molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of biomolecular condensates have not been fully elucidated. Here the authors show that the LLPS propensity, dynamics, and encapsulation efficiency of designed peptide condensates can be tuned by subtle changes to the peptide composition.

    • Avigail Baruch Leshem
    • , Sian Sloan-Dennison
    •  & Ayala Lampel

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Luminophores based on clustering-triggered emission have drawn emerging attention in recent years but they tend to be nonluminescent in dilute solution. Here, the authors design novel clusteroluminogens through modification of cyclodextrin (CD) with amino acids to enable clusterization of chromophores in CD-based confined space and realize blue to cyan fluorescence even in the dilute solution.

    • Qiuju Li
    • , Xingyi Wang
    •  & Shun Mao

  • Article
    | Open Access

    Fabrication of 3D covalent organic framework thin films is challenging. Here the authors report on a liquid-liquid interfacial approach based on physical-organic considerations to synthesize an ultrathin covalent crystal film.

    • Yizhou Yang
    • , Yanyan Chen
    •  & Karl Börjesson

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