Self-assembly

In biology, information is stored and processed using highly evolved molecules in bistable states. Here, the authors demonstrate bistability in a synthetic system without the need for evolved biomolecules or autocatalytic networks.

Chirality transfer across length-scales is an intriguing phenomenon but connecting the properties of individual building blocks to the emergent features of their resulting large-scale structure remains challenging. Here, the authors investigate the origins of mesophase chirality in cellulose nanocrystal suspensions, whose self-assembly into chiral photonic films has attracted significant interest.

Pure organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials become increasingly important but achieving red and near-infrared (NIR) RTP remains challenging. Here, the authors demonstrate that succinimide derived cyclic imides can emit RTP in the red and NIR spectral range with outstanding efficiencies of up to 9.2%.

In this article, meniscus-guided printing of polyelectrolyte-attached liquid metal particles to simultaneously achieve mechanical stability and initial electrical conductivity at high resolution is introduced.

Double-gyroid networks assemble in diverse soft materials, yet the molecular packing that underlies their complex structure remains obscure. Here, authors advance a theory that resolves a long-standing puzzle about their formation in block copolymers.

Active matter exhibits a range of collective behaviors offering insights into how complex patterns can emerge at different length scales. Here, Hsu et al. confine active filaments on the spherical surface of a lipid vesicle and observe the formation of off-equator polar vortices and jammed patterns.