The Design of Dissipative Molecular Assemblies Driven by Chemical Reaction Cycles

If we want to create materials as sophisticated as biological ones, we should use strategies similar to those used in biology. Living biological materials, like skin or bone, are made through the self-assembly of molecules and exist far out of chemical equilibrium, which means that these molecular assemblies require the constant input and dissipation of energy in order to be sustained. Because of their dissipative nature, living materials possess properties that we typically associate with life and do not find in classical materials: properties such as spontaneous emergence, the ability to self-heal, or the ability to adapt to a change in environment. Inspired by biology, researchers have been coupling energy-dissipative chemical reaction cycles to the creation of supramolecular materials. Indeed, the emerging materials are endowed with some of the unique properties we typically associate with life. The design strategies are the focus of this review.