Soft materials nanoarchitectonics: liquid crystals, polymers, gels, biomaterials, and others

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1025–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.77

• . Technologies that facilitate the conversion of these materials, not limited to typical soft materials, into more advanced assemblies include self-assembly via supramolecular chemistry [60][61][62][63][64], the creation of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) through coordination chemistry [65][66][67][68][69], and

• nanoarchitectonics, enabling the versatile design of layered heterosupramolecular assemblies. This enables the sophisticated functionalization of the supramolecular organization of multicompartmental interfacial structures. The fabrication of functional layered structures by means of soft materials

• have attracted attention due to their exceptionally high toughness and other properties. In a recent review, Kubota provided an overview of the advancements in research on supramolecular-polymer composite hydrogels, a novel class of multinetwork hydrogels [282]. Composite hydrogels can be designed to

A calix[4]arene-based supramolecular nanoassembly targeting cancer cells and triggering the release of nitric oxide with green light

• Cristina Parisi,
• Loredana Ferreri,
• Tassia J. Martins,
• Francesca Laneri,
• Samantha Sollima,
• Antonina Azzolina,
• Antonella Cusimano,
• Nicola D’Antona,
• Grazia M. L. Consoli and
• Salvatore Sortino

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1003–1013, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.75

• one amino-nitrobenzofurazan as a fluorescent labelling unit at the opposite sides of the calixarene molecular scaffold. Due to its amphiphilic character, this compound is well soluble in water, forming supramolecular assemblies that are ca. 170 nm in diameter. The nanoassembly selectively targets

• of an amphiphilic calix[n]arene covalently integrating specific targeting ligands showed improved cell targeting capability [11]. Besides, nanoassemblies of calix[4]arene derivatives proved to be also very suited host supramolecular nanoreactors to amplify the photochemical performances of otherwise

• , supramolecular nanoconstructs, and nanomaterials photoreleasing NO have been developed as potential nanomedicines over the last decades [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. In this regard, generating NO with highly biocompatible long wavelength green or red light is highly desirable over blue or even UV

Supramolecular hydration structure of graphene-based hydrogels: density functional theory, green chemistry and interface application

• Hon Nhien Le,
• Duy Khanh Nguyen,
• Minh Triet Dang,
• Huyen Trinh Nguyen,
• Thi Bang Tam Dao,
• Trung Do Nguyen,
• Chi Nhan Ha Thuc and
• Van Hieu Le

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 806–822, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.61

• supramolecular hydration structures that preserve graphene nanosheets from the restacking through hydrophobic force, van der Waals force, and π–π interaction. In this manuscript, density functional theory and high-performance computing (HPC) are used for modeling and calculating van der Waals force between

• coating on polymer substrates, typically polylactide films. Interfacial adhesion of graphene-based nanosheets on polylactide substrates made the antibacterial coating stable for several application purposes. In general, supramolecular graphene-based hydrogels are bioinspired hydration structures to

• advance nanoscale properties and nanotechnology applications. Keywords: antibacterial coating; bioinspired hydration; density functional theory; graphene-based hydrogel; supramolecular structure; Introduction Biological cells are assemblies of biomolecules that are hydrated with water molecules. The

Two-dimensional molecular networks at the solid/liquid interface and the role of alkyl chains in their building blocks

• Suyi Liu,
• Yasuo Norikane and
• Yoshihiro Kikkawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 872–892, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.72

• extensively studied for revealing the supramolecular interactions in the formation of self-assembled monolayers [29][30][31][32][33][34]. Several intermolecular interactions take place at the solid/liquid interface that should be taken into account for the controlled molecular organization in two dimensions

• supramolecular 2D assemblies, and the chirality of 2D structures composed of achiral molecular building blocks can be induced even upon the use of chiral solvents [144][145][146][147]. As stated in the above section 3.2, DBA derivatives formed hexagonal porous structures (Figure 6). Although the DBA molecule is

• follows: (i) The alkyl chains assist adsorption onto the HOPG surface with epitaxy, enabling the formation of an oriented physisorbed monolayer. Long alkyl chains can have a strong stabilization energy for adsorption, comparable to other strong supramolecular interactions such as hydrogen bonds. (ii) The

Nanoarchitectonics for advanced applications in energy, environment and biology: Method for everything in materials science

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 738–740, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.60

• creation quickly progressed because of the introduction and development of various scientific fields, which mainly developed in the last century. Organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, polymer chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, coordination chemistry, and various materials science fields have enabled

• nanotechnology, which pioneered the science at that length scale. Such methodologies were also touched upon in the bottom-up fabrication of materials using supramolecular chemistry and other methods [7][8]. Nanoarchitectonics encompasses these methods and integrates them into a broader field of research

Molecular nanoarchitectonics: unification of nanotechnology and molecular/materials science

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 434–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.35

• ], supramolecular chemistry [13][14][15], coordination chemistry [16][17][18], other materials chemistry [19][20][21], and bio-related chemistry [22][23][24]. Accordingly, it has become clear that precise control of structures is necessary to improve functionality [25][26]. With the development of nanotechnology

• ]. Bottom-up synthesis of materials using molecular and ionic units, which is widely used in supramolecular chemistry and coordination chemistry, is now being elucidated by nanotechnology under observation of actual materials. Thus, the contribution of nanotechnology to the creation of materials cannot be

• materials systems using nanoscale units such as atoms, molecules, and nanomaterials. Nanoarchitectonics also integrates nanotechnology with other research fields such as organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, polymer chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, coordination chemistry, materials science

Cyclodextrins as eminent constituents in nanoarchitectonics for drug delivery systems

• Makoto Komiyama

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 218–232, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.21

• change of the molecule and, thus, very useful to regulate the formation/deformation of supramolecular nanoarchitectures. Importantly, only trans-azobenzene can form inclusion complexes with CyD, since it has a straight and flat structure that fairly fits the cavity of CyD. In contrast, the cis isomer is

• too bulky (and non-planar) and hardly accommodated by the cavity. In many cases, the photoisomerization of azobenzene can proceed smoothly even in nanoarchitectures. For example, photoresponsive supramolecular nanoparticles were prepared from azobenzene-modified β-CyD and a polymer involving α-CyD

• siRNA from the endosome. In another example, a supramolecular nanoparticle was prepared from a linear CyD-based polymer, hydrophilic polyethylene glycol bearing an adamantane at the end, and siRNA [64]. By attaching a human transferrin protein, this composite was steered to target cancer cells to

Supramolecular assembly of pentamidine and polymeric cyclodextrin bimetallic core–shell nanoarchitectures

• Alexandru-Milentie Hada,
• Nina Burduja,
• Marco Abbate,
• Claudio Stagno,
• Guy Caljon,
• Louis Maes,
• Nicola Micale,
• Massimiliano Cordaro,
• Angela Scala,
• Antonino Mazzaglia and
• Anna Piperno

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1361–1369, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.112

• monometallic (nanoG) structures or core–shell bimetallic (nanoGS) architectures with an external silver layer. Here, we describe the preparation of a supramolecular assembly between nanoGS and pentamidine, an antileishmanial drug endowed with a wide range of therapeutic properties (i.e., antimicrobial, anti

• -inflammatory, and anticancer). The physicochemical characterization of the supramolecular assembly (nanoGSP) in terms of size and colloidal stability was investigated by complementary spectroscopic techniques, such as UV–vis, ζ-potential, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Furthermore, the role of PolyCD

• , Figure 1) achieved by supramolecular assembly of the components as well as their physicochemical characterization in terms of size and colloidal stability. The drug binding ability of nanoGS with Pent has been investigated by complementary spectroscopic techniques such as UV–vis, zeta potential (ζ

Design of surface nanostructures for chirality sensing based on quartz crystal microbalance

• Yinglin Ma,
• Xiangyun Xiao and
• Qingmin Ji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1201–1219, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.100

• layers, composed of biomolecules, polymers, supramolecular assemblies, and functional organic hybrids have been successfully constructed on the surface of QCM electrodes. According to frequency shifts of QCM upon adsorption, detection efficiencies of various selectors for chiral analytes could be

• used as building blocks for organized materials expressing chirality at the supramolecular level [82][83]. The introduction of metal centers in porphyrins could further enhance the recognition interactions and form a more stable host–guest complex for chiral sensing [84]. For example, Simonneaux et al

• -based supermolecular systems is generated either via the intrinsic chiral modification of achiral porphyrinoids or via the external chiral field. Supramolecular porphyrin films were also successfully used in QCM-based chirality-sensing systems. Paolesse et al. deposited a porphyrin diad layer as the

Investigation of electron-induced cross-linking of self-assembled monolayers by scanning tunneling microscopy

• Patrick Stohmann,
• Sascha Koch,
• Yang Yang,
• Christopher David Kaiser,
• Julian Ehrens,
• Jürgen Schnack,
• Niklas Biere,
• Dario Anselmetti,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Xianghui Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 462–471, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.39

• Patrick Stohmann Sascha Koch Yang Yang Christopher David Kaiser Julian Ehrens Jurgen Schnack Niklas Biere Dario Anselmetti Armin Golzhauser Xianghui Zhang Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany Department of Chemical

Impact of device design on the electronic and optoelectronic properties of integrated Ru-terpyridine complexes

• Max Mennicken,
• Sophia Katharina Peter,
• Corinna Kaulen,
• Ulrich Simon and
• Silvia Karthäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 219–229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.16

• addressability, which is often a matter of appropriate interfaces and device design. Here, we compare two promising designs to build solid-state electronic devices utilizing the same functional unit. Optically addressable Ru-terpyridine complexes were incorporated in supramolecular wires or employed as ligands

• . Molecular engineering is required to design and assemble molecules or supramolecular systems with specific functions and to ensure the device performance. Favorable molecular systems are capable of performing electronic operations such as data storage, rectification, sensing or switching. In this regard

• metallo-supramolecular wires are promising candidates as electronic and luminochromic materials, which are also useful in a variety of other applications [1][2][3]. They are available with different transition metal centers and numerous chelating ligands. The ligands may be designed to promote the wire

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• supramolecular assemblies [32][33]. Twenty natural amino acids are used by cells to synthesize peptides and proteins. A single amino acid can be self-assembled. For example, Adler-Abramovich et al. [34] showed for the first time that phenylalanine, a single aromatic amino acid, can form ordered fibrillar

• combinations suggest that all assembled ultrastructures formed from various metabolites exhibit amyloidosis. These metabolites not only self-assemble into supramolecular amyloid fiber structures, but also have significant apoptotic effects on neuron model cells. Singh et al. [36] showed that the hydrophobic

• membrane and had good biocompatibility. After 20 h of incubation, approximately 95% of Staphylococcus aureus bacterial proliferation was effectively inhibited [46]. A novel supramolecular self-assembled hydrogel was prepared by mixing Fmoc-ʟ-phenylalanine (Fmoc-ʟ-Phe) with oligo(thiophene ethynylene)-ᴅ

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

Nanoporous and nonporous conjugated donor–acceptor polymer semiconductors for photocatalytic hydrogen production

• Zhao-Qi Sheng,
• Yu-Qin Xing,
• Yan Chen,
• Guang Zhang,
• Shi-Yong Liu and
• Long Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 607–623, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.50

• ) (Figure 4) exhibiting the highest HER of 42 μmol·h−1 (10 mg). Additionally, Hua et al. [64] constructed two D–A supramolecular architectures with different alkane chains, that is, P35 and P36 with n-butyl and n-octyl chains, respectively (Figure 4), by self-assembling quinacridone and pyridine-2,6

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of water in aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles

• Paulina Filipczak,
• Krzysztof Hałagan,
• Jacek Ulański and
• Marcin Kozanecki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 497–506, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.40

• selective enhancement of Raman signals from the samples. Previous studies showed that the RRE in liquid water directly corresponds to its supramolecular structure. It was also reported that the electric-field-induced orientation of water molecules on the electrode surface results in the surface-enhanced

• the OH stretching vibration region can give an idea of the dynamic supramolecular structure of water. There are many models of water structure in the liquid phase. These are generally grouped into two types: models with a continuum of geometric and energetic states (assuming tetrahedral coordination

• ][10][11][12]. The problem of the liquid water spectrum deconvolution is crucial, because the ratio of integral intensities of bands with maxima at approx. 3200 and 3400 cm−1 is regarded as a measure of the water supramolecular structure [13][14]. The component with a maximum at approx. 3200 cm−1 is

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

Scanning transmission helium ion microscopy on carbon nanomembranes

• Daniel Emmrich,
• Annalena Wolff,
• Nikolaus Meyerbröker,
• Jörg K. N. Lindner,
• André Beyer and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 222–231, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.18

• Daniel Emmrich Annalena Wolff Nikolaus Meyerbroker Jorg K. N. Lindner Andre Beyer Armin Golzhauser Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces, Bielefeld University, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany Central Analytical Research Facility, Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of

TiO_x/Pt₃Ti(111) surface-directed formation of electronically responsive supramolecular assemblies of tungsten oxide clusters

• Marco Moors,
• Yun An,
• Agnieszka Kuc and
• Kirill Yu. Monakhov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 203–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.16

• result of thermal evaporation of WO3 powder on the complex TiOx/Pt3Ti(111) surfaces under ultra-high vacuum conditions. The physisorbed tritungsten nano-oxides were found as isolated single units located on the metallic attraction points or as supramolecular self-assemblies with a W3O9-capped hexagonal

• observed. The findings boost progress toward template-directed nucleation, growth, networking, and charge state manipulation of functional molecular nanostructures on surfaces using operando techniques. Keywords: atom manipulation; scanning tunneling microscopy; supramolecular self-assemblies; titanium

• significant points of focus for their integration into practical devices. In fact, the economically ideal way to obtain molecule-based devices would be the propensity of surface-deposited molecular metal-oxide clusters to self-assemble toward stable and reproducible functional supramolecular structures [8

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy

• Natalie Frese,
• Patrick Schmerer,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Matthias Schürmann,
• Matthias König,
• Michael Westphal,
• Friedemann Weber,
• Holger Sudhoff and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 172–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.13

• Natalie Frese Patrick Schmerer Martin Wortmann Matthias Schurmann Matthias Konig Michael Westphal Friedemann Weber Holger Sudhoff Armin Golzhauser Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces, Faculty of Physics, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany Institute of Virology, Faculty of

Fusion of purple membranes triggered by immobilization on carbon nanomembranes

• René Riedel,
• Natalie Frese,
• Fang Yang,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Raphael Dalpke,
• Daniel Rhinow,
• Norbert Hampp and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 93–101, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.8

• Rene Riedel Natalie Frese Fang Yang Martin Wortmann Raphael Dalpke Daniel Rhinow Norbert Hampp Armin Golzhauser Faculty of Chemistry and Materials Sciences Center, University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Strasse, D-35032 Marburg, Germany Physics of Supramolecular Systems and Surfaces, Faculty of

Adsorption and self-assembly of porphyrins on ultrathin CoO films on Ir(100)

• Feifei Xiang,
• Tobias Schmitt,
• Marco Raschmann and
• M. Alexander Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1516–1524, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.134

• diffusive motion of the molecules since the directional intermolecular bond always “swings open”. Increasing the annealing temperature does not help to form supramolecular structures at low coverage. At 300 K, all molecules will attach to defects or move to 1BL CoO areas present in the film. In contrast, 2

Self-assembly and spectroscopic fingerprints of photoactive pyrenyl tectons on hBN/Cu(111)

• Domenik M. Zimmermann,
• Knud Seufert,
• Luka Ðorđević,
• Tobias Hoh,
• Sushobhan Joshi,
• Tomas Marangoni,
• Davide Bonifazi and
• Willi Auwärter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1470–1483, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.130

• and photophysical properties of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by chemical functionalization, adsorption on solid supports, and supramolecular organization is the key to optimize the application of these compounds in (opto)electronic devices. Here, we present a multimethod study comprehensively

• is reduced with an increasing number of substituents. Furthermore, we discuss the influence of template-induced gating and supramolecular organization on the energies of distinct molecular orbitals. The selection of the number and positioning of the pyridyl termini in tetrasubstituted, trans- and cis

• ; Introduction Atomic-level control of molecular materials at interfaces is crucial to fully exploit the materials’ potential in electronic, optoelectronic, spintronic, and sensing applications [1][2]. Specifically, the effects of adsorption, conformation, and supramolecular organization on the resulting

Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy of rubrene on clean and graphene-covered metal surfaces

• Karl Rothe,
• Alexander Mehler,
• Nicolas Néel and
• Jörg Kröger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1157–1167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.100

• supramolecular assemblies [25][26][27], which, however, are not present on Pt(111). The presumably elevated C42H28–Pt(111) hybridization is corroborated by dI/dV spectra of the molecule. Figure 3 shows spectra recorded above intramolecular sites that approximately correspond to one phenyl group of the opposite

A 3D-polyphenylalanine network inside porous alumina: Synthesis and characterization of an inorganic–organic composite membrane

• Jonathan Stott and
• Jörg J. Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 938–951, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.78

• oligomerization [19][20][21]. Films of poly(γ-benzyl-ʟ-glutamate) were surface-grafted within nanoporous anodic alumina (AAO) by surface-initiated polymerization of poly(γ-benzyl-ʟ-glutamate)-NCA [22][23]. Three-dimensional fibrillar networks consisting of supramolecular assemblies of oligomers or polypeptides

• "crosslinking" due to branching and rejoining of fibrillar supramolecular aggregates occurs. Nevertheless "end-to-end" and "side-to-side" interactions of the pBzg-α-helices are essential for the formation of fibrillar networks. Supported hydrogels that were attached to a porous substrate have been reported by

• therefore the formation of carbamic acid salt is likely. During dewetting, the resulting polymer chains agglomerate and form the observed supramolecular structures, which are connected to multiple sites on the inner surface of the corundum particles (see Figure 4H and 4J). Therefore, polymer chains at the

Simulations of the 2D self-assembly of tripod-shaped building blocks

• Łukasz Baran,
• Wojciech Rżysko and
• Edyta Słyk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 884–890, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.73

• a confinement template to initiate chemical reactions. It can be thought of as an extension of heterogenous catalysis where the initial precursors, the intermediate state, and the final supramolecular network all remain in an adsorbed state. Complex self-assembled structures are essential for many