Self-assembly of macromolecules

The DNA bases-AGNR complexes show n-n stacking interactions between a nucleobase and a GNR. The interaction energy between a nucleobase and graphene is 20 kcal/mol. It should be noted that the dispersion energy does not seriously affected even by the solvent effects. This is the reason the dispersion interaction is often utilized for the self-assembly of macromolecules. 

Self-organization of macromolecules is one of the most popular way to achieve nanostructured features because it can be in principle applied to every kind of polymer, natural or synthetic [8], The recent advances in design criteria for the attainment of well-defined polymers and nanostructures allow to produce macromolecules with specific functionalities which are tailored for potentials in development of capsules, drug delivery systems and nanoscale electro-optical devices [9], Upon this premise, the methods that are able to induce the self-assembly of macromolecules are related to the chemico-physical properties of the selected polymer, of the substrate on which the nanostructure grows and on their combination. Obviously, this premise envisages the variety of different morphologies, nanostructures and related applications that can be obtained by the versatility of self-assembly. 

The construction and organization of surface structures on a nanoscale level is fundamental for the growth of surface with novel and valuable properties. Using self-assembly of macromolecules to form surface nanopatterns is rising as a promising and flexible technique [4-11]. One of the main advantages of this process is that large surface areas can be customized promptly and at relatively low cost. 

Nowadays we take for granted that both synthetic and natural polymers really are macromolecules. In the decades since Hermann Staudinger s 1953 Nobel Prize [3], driven in part by the immense technological importance of macromolecules in consumer products and advanced materials, a deep understanding has emerged of the phenomenon of macromolecular aggregation that underpins the field of supra-molecular chemistry, championed by Jean-Marie Lehn [4]. Biology is rife with examples of the latter, which provides inspiration for novel materials development based on either the spontaneous or directed self-assembly of macromolecules. 

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