Abstract
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.
Keywords
NanotechnologyNanochemistrySelf-assemblyNon-covalent interactionsNanostructureMoleculeMaterials scienceChemistryOrganic chemistry
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1991
- Type
- review
- Volume
- 254
- Issue
- 5036
- Pages
- 1312-1319
- Citations
- 3587
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
George M. Whitesides,
John P. Mathias,
Christopher T. Seto
(1991).
Molecular Self-Assembly and Nanochemistry: a Chemical Strategy for the Synthesis of Nanostructures.
Science
, 254
(5036)
, 1312-1319.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1962191
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.1962191