Intelligent Nanoarchitectonics for Self-Assembling Systems

For the sustainable developments of life and society, various problems such as environmental, energy, and biohealth issues must be solved by a wide range of scientific and technical efforts. Therefore, the fabrication of functional materials and systems with strategic intelligence is required. As seen in the evolution processes in nature, self-assembling processes are capable of creating highly intelligent materials and systems. This task would be taken by an emerging concept, nanoarchitectonics, through the combination of nanotechnology concepts with other scientific disciplines such as materials science, supramolecular chemistry, organic chemistry, and bio-related science and technology. Herein, several examples are presented to overview intelligent nanoarchitectonics for the creation of functional materials and systems mainly through self-assembly in various scale ranges. These examples are classified into several sections according to atom-level, molecular-level, materials-level, and life-level intelligent assembly, where several key items such as atom switch devices, molecular switches, molecular machines, shape-shifting and shape-specified assemblies, and cell control at interfaces are included. Discussions on these examples show a high possibility of the nanoarchitectonics' approach in intelligent fabrication of functional materials.