title: Beyond molecules: self-assembly of mesoscopic and macroscopic components.
abstract: Self-assembly is a process in which components, either separate or linked, spontaneously form ordered aggregates. Self-assembly can occur with components having sizes from the molecular to the macroscopic, provided that appropriate conditions are met. Although much of the work in self-assembly has focused on molecular components, many of the most interesting applications of self-assembling processes can be found at larger sizes (nanometers to micrometers). These larger systems also offer a level of control over the characteristics of the components and over the interactions among them that makes fundamental investigations especially tractable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. gwhitesides@gmwgroup.harvard.edu
authors.forename: George M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Whitesides
authors.forename: Mila
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boncheva
mesh_terms: D001695:Biology / Q000379:methods*; D002621:Chemistry / Q000379:methods*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008958:Models, Molecular; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011108:Polymers