Comparative analyses of a family of potential self-replicators: The subtle interplay between molecular structure and the efficacy of self-replication

It is envisioned that protocols based on self-replication will emerge as a formidable synthetic apparatus for the production of nanoscale assemblies through molecular structures that are capable of automultiplication with high reaction rates and selectivities. To achieve this goal, a complete understanding of the relationship between molecular structure and replication efficiency is necessary. Rigorous experimental and theoretical analyses of a series of self-complementary scaffolds that are intimately related in a constitutional sense, manufactured through the Diels-Alder reaction of complementary subunits, were undertaken. Experimental and computational methods were employed to map the key determinants that dictate the emergence of self-replicative function, as well as the efficiency, rate and selectivity of the self-replicative processes.