Final Report Summary - SELFCHEM (Information Transfer through Self-organization Processes in Systems Chemistry) One of the greatest challenges facing physics, chemistry, and (bio)materials science, is to precisely design molecules so as to program their spontaneous bottom-up assembly into functional nano-objects and materials, based on recognition and self-organization processes. Beyond that, in order to reach higher-performing new materials and to bridge the gap between materials science and life science, it appears essential to bring together both multiple responsive levels of hierarchical organization and time-dependent processes. The outcomes of the SelfChem research project are part of this bundle of explorations and lie within an area inquiry which encompasses a better understanding of complex systems, self-organization, and emergence of order from chaos.The main results and novelty of the SelfChem project are twofold:On one side we have discovered a new class of self-assembly based on an old class of organic molecules, namely triarylamines. By just illuminating these molecules in solution with a simple white light, they can spontaneously self-assemble in various nanostructures such as fibers, layers, and spheres. More importantly, we have shown that their unique mechanism of formation results in a new functionality for the fibers that the individual organic molecules do not present. They are electrical and optical conductors approaching the characteristics of metals such as copper and gold, while they do not contain any metallic atom. These objects can also be readily integrated by light-triggered self-construction into nanodevices and at a scale which is not accessible by top down techniques.On the other side we have shown, over two classes of systems, how to amplify the controlled nanometric motions of molecular machines up to our macroscopic scale. This represents an important and long time expected achievement in nanotechnologies. Here, the information contained and expressed in the individual machines is integrated in networks of polymers and results in an amplification of the motion by 4 to 8 orders of magnitudes. We have also shown that we can produce “artificial muscles” using these approaches with the production of contractile materials that use light as a source of energy and which can also store it in the form of elastic mechanical constraints. Remarkably, our artificial systems work far from thermodynamic equilibrium and, in that sense, they are reminiscent to the energetic processes encountered in living systems with biomolecular motors.
